Unable to Catch a Dream
by KrystalBlaze - Jerikor
Summary: Sabewan Qui-Gon was never able to accept Obi-Wan in the day following Bandomeer. Six years later, an act of fate throws them together, and as Qui-Gon struggles to comes to gripes with the man he rejected, dark forces begin to reach for the former Jedi.
1. Prologue

Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn was never able to accept Obi-Wan Kenobi as his Padawan learner in the days following Bandomeer. Six years later, he is escorting the Senator of Naboo and her daughter Sabé home when an attack leaves them stranded on a desolate and scheming world. As Qui-Gon comes to grips with the man he rejected all those years ago, Obi-Wan and Sabé spark between them a passion unknown to them before. As their love blossoms and grows, dark forces begin to reach for the former Jedi, and what is Sabé's role in it?  

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**Unable to Catch a Dream**

Prologue

_Six years earlier…_

"I cannot take the boy as my Padawan, Master."

The words seemed to bounce off the chamber walls, taunting Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn wickedly in a way not even he knew. He knew he was doing the right thing, but, yet, the words slapped him across the chest and face, sharply accusing him. It was as if they had eyes, glaring at him. He knew he was being overly dramatic, but it was the way he felt, and nothing could banish it from his mind, even as he chuckled half heartedly at his jumpiness.

Master Yoda let out a long sigh. His large luminous eyes looked up at his former student sadly. Qui-Gon couldn't bear the gaze Yoda gave him, and he looked away. In any other circumstance, Yoda would be amused. This day, however, he wasn't at all. He couldn't with the actions of Qui-Gon hanging over his head.

"Why?" Yoda asked.

Qui-Gon looked out at the Coruscant skyline. The lights sparkled brilliantly in the darkness of the night. Looking at the lights, he felt a pulling at his heart. They twinkled so wonderfully, and it made him sad to realize that the eyes of a thirteen year old boy would probably never twinkle again…

He couldn't look at Yoda as he spoke. "I have no connection to the child, Master Yoda. I am not ready for a Padawan. He doesn't deserve me as a Master. He's so bright, and he's so courageous. I would just ruin his talent. I have no right to take him."

Yoda made a sound with his tongue Qui-Gon had heard many times. He winced. When he had been younger, the only thing he had ever wanted was to please Yoda. Even now, almost five decades later, the thing he sought most was the great Master's approval. 

"Disappointed, I am. Know that, you do. Do what you must, however. Fight you longer, I will not. Remind you, I will, of the boy's work. Courageous, he was. Brave. Smart, he is. Such a loss of potential, this is. Saddens me greatly, this does."

Qui-Gon wanted to say something. It burned within him so badly to let the boy go to Agri-Corps. His heart snapped at him, the reasonable part of his mind reminded him he was doing the right thing. The only thing he could accomplish by taking Obi-Wan Kenobi on as his Padawan was losing him the way he lost Xanatos. He would die to prevent that from happening to another soul. He would not corrupt Obi-Wan the way he had his last Padawan.

"I am certain of my decision, Master Yoda."

With a great sigh, Yoda nodded heavily. 

"Then closed, this chapter is."

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	2. Chapter One

__________________________________________________

Chapter One
    
    _Fight fire with fire_
    
    _Ending is near_
    
    _Fight fire with fire_
    
    _Bursting with fear_
    
    _- Fight Fire With Fire, Metallica _

_Six year later…_

"Your mission should be fairly simple," Mace Windu said. "An important diplomat is returning home tomorrow from the Senate. Her world is on the brink of a civil war. She represents the King in the eyes of the discontented people of her world. She fears they may attempt to assassinate her as she leaves. Your duty, Master Jinn, is to escort her to her world. Once you are there, you are to act as a Guardian of the Peace and try to end the conflict, or at least tone it down. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Windu, I understand," Qui-Gon Jinn said. 

"The senator's name is Abila Maberrie. More information will be sent to you before you leave tomorrow. Her transport leaves at eight in the morning tomorrow. You'll meet her at the docking bay. May the Force be with you."

"And may it be with you also, Masters," Qui-Gon replied, bowing. His robes swirled around his feet as he left the chambers. 

As always, he felt a pang as he entered the turbo lift. _Six years ago… six years ago…_

Sometimes he thought about the boy. The last he heard was that he had disappeared from Bandomeer shortly after Qui-Gon rejected him. It pained him to think of the boy in any danger. He didn't like to focus on the "what ifs" of anything, but with Obi-Wan Kenobi there were miles and miles of possibilities. He could have changed the boy's life, and instead, he had left him on a terrible planet with nothing more than a future that offered nothing but bleakness.

He stared out from the turbo lift as it took him down. Coruscant hadn't changed in six years. Hardly anything had. 

As he exited on his level, another wave of pain rolled through him.

A man's life could change in six years. 

And that counted for better or for worse.

__________

Abila Maberrie was waiting on the docking for him. Her posse, for lack of better word, stood behind her: four handmaidens, three security guards, and two service droids. She was an older woman; her face veiled and heavily made up. When her chief security guard signaled the Jedi had arrived, she stood from her spot on a metal bench and greeted him, shaking his hand warmly.

"I am Senator Abila Maberrie of Naboo," she said.

"I am very pleased to meet you, Senator. I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

She beckoned her chief security forward. "This is Captain Panaka. The King has been kind enough to let me borrow him for a week or so." She smiled at him kindly. "He's been most kind. I guess we should get to the transport. It's dangerous out in the open, I suppose." 

"You're completely correct, Senator," Qui-Gon said. He nodded at Panaka. "You head ahead. I'll cover your flank."

"Thank you, Master Jinn," the senator said, waving her handmaidens forward. The covered the senator and they walked towards the transport on the deserted platform. He had been informed earlier they shut down the bay for this sort of thing. It was too much of an attention getter in his opinion, but he had to improvise with it. He stepped in front of the droid, getting as close to the Senator as he could with her personnel in front of him. 

Qui-Gon searched the transport thoroughly once inside. He had been on enough missions in the past to know that any object could be a bomb. He checked the engine hold and found nothing. He searched through the Force for any hint of danger, and none greeted him. Above everything else, Qui-Gon trusted his instincts. His instincts told him nothing was amiss, and he reported that to Panaka, who nodded.

The Senator retired to her room, claiming tiredness. Qui-Gon couldn't care less what she did, as long as she was safe. Still alert for danger, he placed himself in the reception room of the transport. It was near the entrance as well as the queen's chambers. He settled into a meditative trance, keeping his mind alert to sight through the Force.

In his trance, Qui-Gon concentrated on the mission at hand. He focused on the danger the Senator faced, searching for any hint the Senator could be harmed. Some Jedi were prone to visions of the future, but Qui-Gon wasn't one of them. He had taken that fact and had channeled that possible energy into meditation for future events. Often, if he was in a deep enough trance and had an idea what he was looking for, he could catch a glimpse of something. 

Today, though, something happened. The moment Qui-Gon set his mind into meditation, his thoughts on the Senator, something seemed to rip through time and grab his attention, pulling his mind to a Force presence. When he had tried to confront his confusion, the force holding him to the presence jerked him hard, and he listened.

The presence was slightly familiar, tickling his senses. He knew the signature, but he couldn't place it. He listened to the Force. It told warned him of danger, and he tensed. The moment he did so the presence began to fade, and he stopped. He listened as it told him the danger was not directed at the Senator, instead to someone else. That puzzled him, and he voiced it to the Force. This time he was given an answer: he knew the person.

Qui-Gon's head began to pound as the Force revealed to him he would soon be with the person. The person was in grave danger, and it served in Qui-Gon's best interests to help him. Apparently he was a Force-sensitive, which puzzled him all the more. 

The moment he began to wonder the connection to the presence was snapped and he was once again in the reception room, his eyes closed, his mind focused on Senator Maberrie's protection. He opened his eyes, his heart pounding. He glanced around the room, half expecting some unseen force to be standing in front of him. 

Instead, all he saw was a young girl in the handmaiden's clothing sitting on a chair and eating muja fruit.

When she saw him look at her, she smiled at him gracefully. She stood and bowed to him deeply. "Hello, Master Jedi."

He nodded at her. "Hello. Is the Senator all right?"

She nodded quickly. "Of course, Master Jedi! We'd have gotten you if something was amiss. I am Sabé, head handmaiden to the Senator. I am very pleased to know you, Master Jedi."

The Jedi smiled at the girl. "I am pleased to know you, Sabé."

"Thank you." The young girl settled back against her seat, but the moment she did so, a bomb seemed to explode under the ship's hull. She plummeted forward, rolling into a wall. Qui-Gon fell but caught himself, all ready reaching to help the handmaiden up. The ship tilted, and he grabbed the chair to steady himself.

The next second the Senator came out of her room. "Sabé! Where is Sabé?" 

Qui-Gon righted himself and helped the girl to her feet. "She is right here, Senator." 

"I am fine, Senator," Sabé said. She straightened her clothes, wincing at the tear in the orange fabric. "Senator, are you all right?"

"Fine, Sabé," the Senator said absentmindedly, now assured her handmaiden wasn't hurt. "What happened? Master Jedi? Where is Captain Panaka?"

As if on cue, the Captain came barrerling into the hall, which was becoming crowded with handmaidens, a senator, and the Jedi. "Senator, Master Jedi," he said breathlessly. "We believe someone is attacking the ship. There is a hole in the hull. The pilot is trying to gain control, but we're leaking fuel. If we don't land, we risk an explosion. We have to land soon or the fuel will catch fire if enough of it leaks."

"What?" the Senator gasped.

"If we're leaking as we go into the system, the heat from the atmosphere will engulf the ship," Panaka continued, his voice measured. "We have to land now."

"What is the nearest system?" Qui-Gon asked. "Is there a ship in our orbit?"

"No," Panaka said. "It must have fled as soon as it hit us. It probably thought it hit a killer shot."

"The West People," Senator Maberrie said, her voice tinted with anger. She saw Qui-Gon's look and said, "They are the people who oppose the King's rule.  They have to be behind this!" 

"But the ship left?" Qui-Gon asked. He was ashamed. He had not sensed the danger. Something of that measure had to emit warnings through the Force. Instead, he had been concentrating on the future at the expense of the present. It always amazed him that even the oldest Master could learn new things. His Master, Master Dooku, had tried to show him that but he hadn't listened. 

"Yes," Panaka said. "The nearest planet is one called Candalas."

"I know that planet," Sabé said. They all turned to stare at her, and she nodded eagerly. "I've studied many worlds, Master Jedi. Coming from a planet as far on the Outer Rim as mine, I've always wanted to learn-"

"Miss Sabé?" Panaka asked.

"My apologies," she said. "We're pretty close to the Outer Rim. It's a trading world, but heavy with the black market and other such veil organizations. It should be safe…for the right price." 

"Where do you think it would be safest to land?" Senator Maberrie asked.

Sabé appeared to be calling information from long ago. She frowned. "Probably in one of the more deserted areas. It's a large world. Maybe… Negdraw. Yes, Negdraw! It's pretty far from a city. The Senator would be safe there. If we bring her down far from any place, no one could find her, I'm certain."

"Sabé's correct," Maberrie said. "Take her down, Captain."

"I'll check it out," Panaka said. "We'll make sure it's safe to touch down there first." He glanced at Qui-Gon. "I've sent the droids to repair what they can. Please stay and protect the Senator."

"I will do that," Qui-Gon said. He looked to Sabé. "Help him find your Candalas."

"Yes, Master Jedi," she said, following Panaka down the hall. 

He herded the senator and her handmaidens back into the room. They all seemed very young to him, suddenly. The senator was an older woman, but it did not dim her beauty. Among her handmaidens, however, she seemed plain, older. He watched them settle on the bed, and then secured the locking device. They were all so young and beautiful. He didn't want their lives to be lost because of him.

A wave of pain rolled through him.

He'd done that all ready.

__________

"We've landed," Sabé said as Qui-Gon let her in. "Captain Panaka requests your presence at the cockpit."

"Okay," Maberrie said. She glanced at Qui-Gon. "Would you be kind enough to step out of the room so I may change, Master Jedi? I don't believe the clothes I am wearing are suitable to these conditions, if the desert is as Sabé says." 

"Yes, Senator," Qui-Gon responded. She was correct. She wore a dress of black fabric with intricate designs on the torso. The dress cut off just above her breasts, with three black lines of fabric running to meet it from the choke collar she wore on her neck. From her back where the dress cut off extended steam like tentacles which ended in feathers. She looked absolutely stunning, despite her old age. Qui-Gon bowed out of the room, Sabé following him.

"It's a beautiful dress," Sabé told him. "She's giving it to me when she dies."

Qui-Gon regarded the girl with surprise. "She must trust you and like you greatly for that."

Sabé blushed, her eyes flashing with something that seemed like anger; not directed at him but at herself. "I am her head handmaiden. She has no children. I… I'm like a daughter to her." 

The Jedi was on guard. She seemed like a good enough girl, who was rather open, and there was nothing wrong with that, but the way her eyes flashed made him wonder. Was she angry at her openness, or had she revealed to him something about the Senator? 

Then he chastised himself. He had no right to question the handmaiden and certainly not the Senator herself. His mind was pricked with uneasiness from the "vision" the Force had shown him. Someone was in danger, but not the Senator. He would be face to face with the person soon; he knew that instinctively. He needed to be on his guard. The person was a Force-sensitive. 

The door opened and the Senator came out, now dressed in a simple tunic and trousers with a long, dark brown robe. Her face was made up heavily once again, which Qui-Gon figured was for protection. It amused him how quickly the make up had gone on, though. 

They started down the corridor. Once they reached the cockpit, Qui-Gon went immediately to check the surroundings through the wind shield. The sight that met his eyes did not give him much hope.

Desert. 

Miles, and miles of desert.

"This is Candalas," Panaka said, gesturing. "There's a town about half a mile away. Senator, I don't believe we should venture out now. It'll be dark here, soon. I suggest we wait until tomorrow."

The Senator looked to her handmaidens, smiling slightly. One nodded, and then the others joined in. She smiled at Panaka. "I believe you are correct, Captain. We'll wait until morning." She looked at Qui-Gon. "Should I inform my world of this?"

"If the attackers are tracking us," Qui-Gon said, "then we cannot. It's possible they do not know where we are. I suggest we keep it that way. Captain? What is wrong with the ship?"

"The droids should be back soon with a report, but from the glance I got it doesn't look good," he replied, his voice grave. "Senator, you should retire for the night. There's nothing here of any interest. I'd feel a lot safer if you were in you room."

"I thank you for your suggestion, Captain," Maberrie said. "And I shall take it." She turned and walked towards her room, flanked by the handmaidens.

"I'll keep watch by her door," Qui-Gon offered.

"Thank you, Master Jedi," Captain Panaka said, looking out at the mountains of sand. "It should be night in an hour."

"I'll keep that in mind," Qui-Gon said as he strolled away.

__________________________________________________ 


	3. Chapter Two

And now we enter Obi-Wan… hehe.

__________________________________________________ 

Chapter Two

_And if you say to me tomorrow, oh what fun it all would be.   
Then what's to stop us, pretty baby. _

_But what is and what should never be._

_- What Is and What Should Never Be, Led Zeppelin _

The desert in Candalas was as wicked and as dry as any desert ever was. Dunes of sand rolled in every direction, baking in the sun. Unlike most deserts, however, Candalas had more oasis than any desert within a planet range of five. A person walking through the Candalas desert could die from thirst, of course, but if they went in the right direction, they would find a virtual paradise of small oasis stretched out for miles in one direction until they reached the main population where grass began to grow again and where water was plentiful.

Negdraw's greatest asset was its location. Somehow, in the years earlier, oasis had formed together to form a tight circle. Negdraw had formed around that circle, its border not reaching five miles from it. Negdraw was a small town, to say the least. It's population was pushing towards two hundred, but some of the higher educated were guessing once more Candalans found out of its low population and rich water supply, the number of people living in the area would grow.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, for one, was not too pleased with the prospect of more Candalans coming. His entire life depended on his being the only auto parts dealer in the city. Business was bad enough, but if another dealer came and they started competing, he may go under and Obi-Wan Kenobi was not one who liked to play with the dangers of "what if".

"Listen, if you're looking for classic speeder, I don't have any. I don't know what part of that you understand, but this shop is for repairs and the selling of Arrow-17's. I've got tools, and I've got repairs for a decent price. I don't, however, have classic speeders."

Obi-Wan was getting angry. The old man in front of him was clearly delusional, his eyes blank and his voice misty. For a while, Obi-Wan had entertained the man's illusions, but now it was getting tiring. He kept asking for an old speeder, which wasn't in use anymore. Obi-Wan wasn't even sure there was one left in the galaxy. 

"I want-"the man started again.

"Macab!" Obi-Wan shouted behind him. "Get up here!"

A man came running out of courtyard a few moments later, his face dripping with sweat. He was old enough to be Obi-Wan's father, but had the soul of a man twice his junior. "Macab, can you please show this man out?"

"Sure," Macab replied, taking the old man by the elbow and taking him out the front door. Obi-Wan watched Macab release the man ten feet from the door, then come back and shut it. He motioned the older man to follow him and they went into the courtyard.

The courtyard was a brick walled in area behind the main shop, littered with parts and speeders. The area was large enough to hold a decently sized transport ship and several small speeders. Obi-Wan and Macab could probably build a transport from the parts they had, but it wouldn't be good for business, although Macab longed to get off the forsaken planet.

Obi-Wan loved Candalas. He loved the desert, he loved the sun, and he loved the wind. He had never really like Coruscant. It was too crowded, the people in a hurry and rude. He stiffened at the thought of other terrible thing on Coruscant, but let out a breath and relaxed. They couldn't get him here. He would never meet that pain again. 

Bandomeer wasn't exactly a paradise, but at least it was better than Coruscant. Still, he liked this world much better. Macab thought of it as nothing but a rock of dirt, but Obi-Wan saw it as his freedom, as his salvation from the crowds and from the pain both Bandomeer and Coruscant brought. On Candalas, there was no pain.

Macab pointed up at the sky, where sand was whirling. "There's a storm coming."

"_No,"_ Obi-Wan said sarcastically. "We're going to have to close up early." He started walking back into the shop. "Get the tent up, and make sure it's tight. We won't be getting some more parts for about four months. They need to stay clean!"

"Oh yes, my Master of the galaxy," Macab muttered.

Once inside, Obi-Wan began to spread the thermal blankets over the parts and tools on the shelves. If he had learned anything from his years on Candalas, it was that sand could blow inside a house from the storm. He didn't practically like current residence because of the fact. In a storm, the sand blew in the crack and stuck to any wet surface, including the lips. He frowned at the thought.

Macab came in the minute after Obi-Wan finished setting out the thermal blankets. "We need to hurry. The storm is picking up. It's your turn for the house."

Macab and Obi-Wan shared the single room shack a mile from the shop. It was their policy that one of them always slept with the shop in case of buglers. Obi-Wan liked the shop better, but they switched every night or so. It wasn't a rock solid schedule, except when they felt like it.

"Fine by me," Obi-Wan grunted. He peered through the window in the front at the swirling sand. "I'm taking a speeder. It'll take be forever if I walk."

"Whatever you want," Macab said, locking the front door. He began to get the cot out. "See you tomorrow, Kenobi."

"Later, Macab," Obi-Wan called over his shoulder as he put his cloak on and went into the courtyard. He unlocked a speeder from its chain and rolled it out of the gate. After securing the lock, he hopped on the speeder, revved it, and then took off, the sand stinging his eyes. The only thing he hated about Candalas was the sand storms. 

Suddenly, overhead, he saw lights. Curious, he pulled over, his mind reeling. The only transports they got this far were the transports bearing the parts for Obi-Wan's shop, which he paid for personally. His heart suddenly began to race. Was this a transport full of parts for a new part shop? Oh, he would just die if it was. He had gone too far for his shop to have it fall.

He watched the lights vanish into the sand. 

He relaxed slightly. If the transport was a part transport, than it would have landed closer to the town. It was probably just some cruiser transport that had gotten lost along the way. It wasn't very important. 

Actually, it could end up being important. Maybe the transport was damaged. It probably needed parts. He was the only shop in Negdraw which could provide anything for a transport to repair it. A new hyper drive alone would make Macab and Obi-Wan rich enough to hire a transport and get them out of Negdraw. If it was an entirely new engine… the possibilities were endless. Macab could leave Candalas and finally move to Naboo, his dream planet.

Macab talked about Naboo a lot. He spoke of how the planet was so green it looked like that from space. He spoke of oceans and forests. There were many animal species, he said. He said the city was peaceful and tranquil, never in a rush or a fight. Everyone liked each other on Naboo. Everyone was so happy, dreams always ended on clouds, and people loved each other. It was happy world. Dreams never ended there, they only began…

Obi-Wan sneered suddenly. Perhaps he should go to Naboo with Macab once they saved enough money. His dream had ended six years earlier. He had been living for the sole purpose of living. Life wasn't important to him, not anyone. He went about everyday not knowing what the next would bring. That lifestyle didn't bother him at all. He didn't exactly have a reason to get up in the morning. 

Oh, he got up for Macab, but if he chose he wouldn't.   
  


He was living for the sole purpose of living.

As he rode away, he laughed to the wind.

There was no other way to live.

__________

Obi-Wan woke up in the morning with sand in his hair and grit in his eyes. Groaning, he rolled off the sleep couch and fell to his knees. Ah yes. The morning of a bachelor. How he loved it.

Keeping his eyes shut, he uttered a curse and stumbled to the sink in the 'fresher. Cupping his hand, he let the water cool, and then splashed it onto his eyes. It took him a full five minutes before he could bear to open them. It was the way of people who lived in the desert. Sand glued your eyelids shut constantly. Deal with it. Obi-Wan found the ones who complained annoying. They chose the desert life. Deal with it.

After he could see again, he dressed, selecting knee high boots because mist was known to ride with sand storms; black pants; a black tunic and a black cloak. He had to smile at himself. He was naturally a dreary person. Suicide was the name of the game. Chuckling to himself, he took his pack and stepped out, pulling the hood up.

The morning had the crisp feeling of the aftermath of a sand storm. As he had predicted, there was mud, and it clung to his boots. Because the sand was naturally deep, it was a hard travel to his speeder. He checked the jets and cleared the sand out. He was still looking to sell the speeder. There was no way he could damage it. 

He roared away from his shack a few minutes later. He and Macab lived on the outskirts of Negdraw. Their house, actually, was the farthest one from the oasis, which led to the greatest danger of robbery. He had no idea why anyone would come to Negdraw with no idea, but they did, and some resorted to stealing. They seemed to know, however, that if they tried to steal anything from their shack or store; Macab would personally come chasing after them with an electro-jabber and blasters galore.

Macab was a good man, no doubt of it. He always smiled when he thought of the man. When he had first come to Negdraw, Macab was nothing but a man with a shop he used for the sole purpose of sleeping. Obi-Wan had seen the potential of a parts shop, and he tried to get Macab to sell the shop to him, but he was having none of it. When Obi-Wan had proposed the idea of business partners, he had jumped at the chance. With the credits Obi-Wan had, they bought a few parts and set the shop up. Soon they had enough to buy more parts. 

The rest, as they say, was history.

  
Macab knew that Obi-Wan didn't care much for life, and it didn't bother him. Macab had been like that before, though now his entire being was devoted to getting enough money to leave the planet and start a new life on Naboo. Obi-Wan liked that about Macab: he knew what he wanted and how to get it.

Obi-Wan had no idea what he wanted and no idea how to get an idea, so it balanced out nicely.

Obi-Wan reached the shop just as Macab was opening it. He rolled the speeder in, removing his hood and wiping the sand from his eyes. His mind jumped when he saw the cracked rearview mirror. He cursed. He hadn't felt anything strike the vehicle. He would buy a new mirror, of course, but Macab would be rolling with anger. Any lost money was a dent in his plan for Naboo. He had to act naturally. He could get a mirror in by tomorrow; he just had to act as if nothing was wrong. Macab had keen instincts.

When he walked in, Macab regarded him with amusement. "Are we having an especially dark day today?" 

"Are we having an especially idiotic day today?" Obi-Wan shot back, taking his place at the counter.

"Bud, it's my turn for the desk," Macab protested.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I see," he said. "And how long have these dreams been occurring?"

"Go to hell, Kenobi," Macab replied and walked out to check the parts for sand.

Obi-Wan gave a tiny laugh and inspected the parts. He trusted Macab soundly, but sometimes he grew lax with his work when he started daydreaming about Naboo. True to his form, Macab had missed a shine of sand on a Sensorscope. Sensorscopes usually weren't sold; the one in question had been in shop for the last year or so, but Obi-Wan's policy was that anyone could walk through the door with a need no one else wanted. One man's waste, another man's treasure, although no one owned an R2 unit, so it was hard to find the treasure part in there.

He bent down, ready to wipe the dust off…

The door opened.

Obi-Wan stood up quickly. It wasn't good to show customers a deserted shop.

For the first time in his life, Obi-Wan saw an angel.

__________

"Master Jedi," Maberrie said, her voice measured. "I'd like my handmaiden, Sabé, to go with you."

Qui-Gon had been ready to leave, but this news stopped him. He turned around from the ramp and saw the Senator and Sabé standing side by side. He frowned. "This may be dangerous, Senator. I'd hate to put your handmaiden in danger."

"She knows how to handle a blaster," the Senator said. "You understand handmaidens are also bodyguards. She knows how to take care of herself. I'd also like her to see this planet to help with her studies. I know this isn't the time, but I won't let the West People stop our children from learning, a right that is theirs by birth. I feel perfectly safe here, Master Jedi."

He looked at Sabé. She gazed at him resolutely. Her jaw was set in a determined clench. He remembered his misgivings about her the day before. He didn't want her along because of that, and because it might be dangerous. And she was so young. The Senator herself called her a child. 

"All right," he said finally. He tuned his focus solely on Sabé. "This may be a learning experience for you, young one, but we must get this quickly over and done with so we can leave."

"Yes, sir!" Sabé said, bowing to the Senator and then heading after Qui-Gon. She now wore simple peasant clothing: boots, trousers and a loose fitting gray tunic. Her dark hair was held back by a band. Still, she looked beautiful. Qui-Gon found that amusing. Everything on Naboo seemed to be made of beauty as if they had created the word.

"Stay by my side," Qui-Gon said as they walked. "Walk quickly."

They reached the city in good time, although for Qui-Gon's tastes it was too slow. He had to change his pace to accommodate the girl's strides. 

He glanced around. The city seemed nice enough, although it was obviously low class. People lined the streets, asking for food. They walked in through a lane lined with shops. The food was fresh, although there was no fruit. The sellers were selling anything from jewelry to plants, although only the Force knew how they grew them in the wretched heat. They went to a stand selling jewelry. The old woman smiled at them.

"Hello," Qui-Gon said. He opened his mouth.

"What can I get for you?" she asked, showing her gums. She nodded at Sabé. "What can I get the young lady?" 

"We're not here for jewelry, sorry," Qui-Gon cut in. "We were wondering-"

"I can't help you, sorry," the woman said, still smiling. She returned to her chair.

Sabé sighed and took out some credits. "I'd like that," she said, pointing to a turquoise pendant. "Please."

The old woman stood up again and took her money. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Qui-Gon snorted. "Can you tell us where the nearest parts store is, please?"

The woman grinned. "Well, there's only one here. You're looking for Ben and Macab's place. Just go down that street and it's the first one. They've got a nice shop, too. Course, I don't buy their stuff. There both good men. You see, Ben came here about six-"

"Thank you," Qui-Gon butted in. "Thank you." 

Qui-Gon led Sabé down the street. She risked a look his way, and then said bravely, "I think that was rude."

He turned to stare at her. "You understand we have to get out of here as soon as we can. The longer we stay down, the greater the danger for the Senator. I don't want her hurt, Sabé. We have to get these parts."

Sabé shut up after that and angrily marched with him. She knew where she was going. Cutting off the lady had been unkind and mean. She couldn't abide people who thought their problems were bigger than the galaxy and Qui-Gon was one of them. He appeared only concerned with the mission, and perhaps he was, but Sabé had been taught to look deeper under the surface. She saw nothing, but it set her on guard.

She reached the shop before Qui-Gon because she knew where she was going and opened the door, walking briskly in.

The young man before her stared at her dumbly, his hand holding a towel. She stared at him back, giving him a taste of his own medicine. 

He let a smile spread, and she let one as well.

His smile disappeared, though, the next moment when Qui-Gon came in. 

For a moment no one spoke. Qui-Gon's eyes widened at the sight of the man.

_No… Obi-Wan?_

"Well, things just got a little awkward, didn't they?" Obi-Wan asked.

And then he smiled recklessly. 

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	4. Chapter Three

I'd like to thank ya all for the reviews… it's three! Count 'em? Three!! Woooo!! *mad applauds*

Thank you **name1, lighted eagle, and stars! **You all made my days with the reviews, and I'll carry this through for you!

And here we are… Obi-angst… the only reason you're here, right? 

 _________________________________

Chapter Three

_I don't want nobody  
Nobody don't want me  
I'm so sad so lonely  
But I'm always landing on my feet_

_- So Sad, So Lonely, Matchbox Twenty _

Obi-Wan was burning up inside. 

The man standing in front of him was Qui-Gon Jinn. For a second he had tried to convince himself otherwise, no, it couldn't be the Jedi Master. When Qui-Gon had stopped and stared, however, his eyes widening, he knew it was Master Jinn. No one would react to seeing him that way except Qui-Gon Jinn.

He didn't know what to do. For one of the few times in his life, Obi-Wan did not what to feel and what to say. The first emotion was shock. The second one rolled in, and it was a mixture of anger and happiness. He had no idea why he would be happy. He just didn't do "happy" anymore. Content, yes, maybe. He couldn't remember the last time he had been truly happy, bursting at the seams with it flowing. He wondered if he had ever felt like that.

He was surprised at himself. He should be angry. The man had been his last hope at becoming a Padawan, and he had been rejected. He wanted to be angry. He had wanted to become a Jedi with every fiber of his being. He had dreamt of it every night. He wanted to help people, wanted to save people. He had wanted to be a hero, he was ashamed to admit. The dream died the day Qui-Gon left him on Bandomeer, and he couldn't erase the past. 

As he stared at the man who had killed his dream, the only emotion that filled him was happiness and anger. He waited for the disbelief, the hate, the pain. He only felt the two. 

They didn't come.

"Well, things just got a little awkward, didn't they?" he asked after a few moments, smiling recklessly. He tossed the rag on the Sensorscope and went behind the counter, not taking his eyes off Qui-Gon. He put his elbows on the counter and leaned forward on them. He gave the girl a neutral look, although it was hard to stop his heart from pounding when he looked at her. It was foolish of him, he knew. She was probably his Padawan…

His mind balked at the thought.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, his voice just above a whisper.

"Qui-Gon Jinn," he acknowledged. His heart began to get heavy. Maybe shock had held back his pain, or maybe he needed to hear words, but now it came tearing to Obi-Wan. He remembered his dreams and he remembered the man in front of him, the dream killer. His smile disappeared, and he turned away.

"YOU IMBECILE!" 

Everyone in the shop jumped, turning to look around at the door leading to the courtyard. Macab came running in, his face angry. He marched up to Obi-Wan, completely ignoring the other two beings presence. "I am going to DEMOLISH you!" he screamed in Obi-Wan's face.

Mindful of the Jedi and the girl, he stepped back calmly. His mind flashed to the mirror suddenly, and he couldn't stop a wince from his face. "Macab, we have a customer!"

"You broke the mirror!" Macab wailed. His face looked absolutely mournful. He turned to Qui-Gon. "He'll help you. Just don't give him a mirror." He glared at Obi-Wan. "You idiot." He turned and marched away.

After a minute passed, Obi-Wan said, "That's Macab. "

Qui-Gon found his voice. "Obi-Wan? How did you… why did you run?"

Obi-Wan glared at the Jedi. "I'm not going to answer that."

Qui-Gon nodded, his heart mournful. Was this the reason Obi-Wan's plight had been in his mind so often? Had the Force been warning him he would somehow meet Obi-Wan again? Was this why, after all the years, he had never allowed himself to forget the boy and his forgotten dream? 

_Oh, Force…_

His mind flashed to his trance. The Force had warned him of a Force-sensitive in danger. He had known the signature, although he couldn't place it. The Force had practically screamed at him, speaking of an unseen danger to a person he knew and who he had to protect. He looked at Obi-Wan, still surprised at the way the boyish features had disappeared, falling away to reveal a man with a rough face and pained eyes. 

Could the Force possibly be beckoning to save _Obi-Wan Kenobi?_

It had to be a coincidence. He had to save the same person he had helped destroy? It was too ironic and coincidental. 

"What do you want, Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan finally asked, his voice starting to reveal anger.

Qui-Gon blinked. He handed Obi-Wan a list. The other man took it with rough hands. "Here is a list of the parts I need. We also need someone to do repairs as we do not have anyone qualified enough." 

Obi-Wan went down the list. He whistled without thinking. The parts alone would cost enough to make him rich enough to live in fine style. Macab could…

He folded the list abruptly. "Excuse me," he said quickly and went out to the courtyard. He had a policy never to leave customers alone in the store, but the man was a Jedi. He had to have better reserve than other. "Macab!"

Macab was examining something on a Landcruiser, but when Obi-Wan called him he stood up. "I am going-"  
  


"Look at this." He shoved the list into Macab's dirty hands. "These are the items they need. Repairs are also necessary."  He watched Macab's face grow in wonder. "Macab… if they buy all these things… if they actually pay the price we want…"

Macab just blinked at him. "What happened to their ship?"  
  


"I have no clue and I don't want one," Obi-Wan replied. "They need us, Macab. There is no one else out here who can give them what they want. We ask a price and they have to give!" 

"Do we ask for credits this time?" he asked. Usually they used the Candalas currency, but they made exceptions for stranded beings at times. It was money for Macab's trip to Naboo.

Obi-Wan thought about it and then nodded. "That's probably all they have, anyway." His mind whirled with possibilities. "We charge them more. We charge them more than we've ever charged anyone. If we make this deal… we're out, Macab. We're going wherever we want to go."  
  


Macab frowned. "And if they don't have enough?"

"They will!" Obi-Wan snapped. "They will."

Macab blinked at Obi-Wan and then said gently, "Money won't make _you _happy, Obi-Wan."

The former Jedi gritted his teeth. Macab really thought he was trying to buy himself happiness. The fact burned him. No, he wasn't happy and that was fine with him. But his friend thought he was going to lavish himself with goodies and be happy? The thought filled him with disgust and he didn't know why he was thinking about it. 

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Macab," Obi-Wan said simply and went back inside.

"Do you have the parts we need?" Qui-Gon asked.

Obi-Wan just looked at him. He glanced at the list again, and found five items he wasn't sure of. He jerked his head towards the door. "Go out there. My partner will help you." He gave him the list. Qui-Gon went without a word, leaving the girl behind. 

"So, what's your name?" Obi-Wan asked, smiling at her easily. It was as if the tension between Qui-Gon and him was tethered to the Jedi Master and followed him. 

Sabé smiled at him. She was so very beautiful. "My name is Sabé. Yours, I take it, is Obi-Wan?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he replied, and her smile grew. "It's an honor to meet you, Sabé. What are you doing with Qui-Gon Jinn?" His mind reflected back to his previous thought of her being his Padawan, but she didn't seem anything like a Jedi. She was too beautiful for that. Prejudice, yes, but he knew he had the right. 

"It's not really my place to say," Sabé said. "I'm traveling with him."

"And where are you headed?"

Sabé lowered her head. "Naboo. Our ship was damaged."

Naboo? That was too coincidental. Obi-Wan didn't trust coincidences. "How was it damaged?"

Sabé hesitated. "I'm afraid I can't say."

"That's fine," he said quickly, leaning over the desk. He cocked his head at her, his smile never leaving his face. "So. How old are you?"

Sabé gave him a distasteful look. "You trying to make conversation?"

Obi-Wan winced. "I assume I am failing."  
  


"Quite." She shrugged. "I'm sixteen. And you?"

"Nineteen," he responded. They weren't too far in age. So maybe… He clamped on the thought. There were no "maybes." 

Something about her, though, captivated him beyond belief. It wasn't just her beauty that stunned him. He wasn't a believer in destiny or anything of the sort, but somehow he knew that she was meant to meet him. It wasn't a blown out feeling, just subtle touch through something he didn't know. He couldn't describe it. Something about her drew him to her, and he liked it.

"You're staring," Sabé said. 

"Ah." Obi-Wan's smile grew. "You don't sound surprised."

"I'm not normally surprised." Sabé glanced around. "You know Qui-Gon?"

Obi-Wan's smile evaporated and he averted his eyes. "This is my ship damage. I don't want to talk about it."

Sabé nodded. "Fair enough." Her tender smile touched his heart. "Whatever happened I'm sorry. Things like that happen a lot. Don't worry. Nobody's perfect."

"You have no idea," Obi-Wan said, anger seeping in, "what I feel."

Sabé's eyes bore into Obi-Wan, her mouth slightly ajar. "Did I say I knew what you are feeling?" Her eyes were tense. 

"You're too young to understand," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand as if he could erase her from his view.

"And that defines a person?" Sabé demanded.

"What I don't understand is why you even care," Obi-Wan said. How could the conversation go from perfect to an argument? They had just been talking! She was trying to make him feel better about something she didn't know and he threw it in her face. He knew that was wrong, but there was nothing he could do to take the words back and he hated apologizing to someone he didn't know.

"That makes no sense," Sabé replied angrily. "You-"

Qui-Gon came in. "You have everything," he said shortly to Obi-Wan, cutting Sabé off. "How much?" He handed the list back.

His mind still smarting from the conversation with Sabé, he added the sum up on paper. His mind was jarred by the amount. "For the parts alone, its 18000 credits," he told Qui-Gon. In reality it was only half that price. "The repairs which Macab and myself do, its 2000 credits which ends up for a total of 20000." 

Qui-Gon stared at him. "You're kidding me."

"I'm not kidding you," Obi-Wan said, smiling merrily at the disbelief on both their faces. 

"We could get parts for half that price on Coruscant!" Sabé cried.

He batted his eyes in her direction. Qui-Gon presence did that to him. "Well, we're not on Coruscant." He turned to Qui-Gon and clearly enunciated the next words. "We're on Candalas. I'm a parts dealer. We make what we can. The quality of life out here is terrible. But we're the only sellers here. And because of that, we can charge whatever we want."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, and asked forgiveness for what he was about to do. He waved his hand. "10000 is fine." 

Obi-Wan snorted. "I thought you had more respect than that, Qui-Gon Jinn. I learned enough to stop those tricks."

The Master was astounded. The boy had only been thirteen when he had last seen the Jedi. How could he, in that short time, be able to block Qui-Gon from his mind? It was simply unheard of! The boy was strong in the Force, no doubt of that, but this strong? Was he training by himself?

"So are you going to pay?" Obi-Wan asked.

Sabé looked at Qui-Gon, pain in her eyes. The Senator only carried with her 1500 credits. Combined with the little Qui-Gon had, it wasn't even close. 

"No," Qui-Gon said. "We will not." 

He jerked his head to the door and exited. 

"Well, okay, but we're the only ones!" he shouted after Qui-Gon. He looked at Sabé. "Aren't you going?"

"Please," she said. "We have-"

"Save your excuses," Obi-Wan said, his voice growing gentler. "I have to make a living."

"But-"

"Sabé!" Qui-Gon shouted, starting back.

She fled the store.

Obi-Wan stared after them for a long time, his emotions a turmoil within him. Macab came in soon. 

"You let them go?" he asked, incredulous.

Obi-Wan turned an eye to him. "They'll be back," he replied. "They'll be back. They have to."

__________

Senator Maberrie wasn't angry. She was enraged. 

"20000 credits! That's ridiculous! We don't even have that much money! It's idiotic!"

"Senator, please calm down!" Sabé said quickly. "We'll figure something else."

The Senator held her head in her hands and kneaded her forehead. "This is unreasonable," she muttered. "So unreasonable. I'll talk to that parts dealer. I'll make him understand. I can get the money-"  
  


"That will not work, Senator Maberrie," Qui-Gon cut in. 

She shifted her determined expression to him. "And why not, exactly?" 

"I don't believe you can change the dealer's demands, Senator. He's… he won't change. He wants the money so he can leave Candalas and he sees this as his way out. They moved the price up, I'm sure of it. We cannot do anything about it. There has to be a way to get the money."

"Let me talk to him," the Senator growled, refusing to accept defeat. "I can make him change his mind." She glanced at one of her handmaidens, Rabé. "Please fetch some clothing suitable for desert travel, Rabé. The clothing I used last night, please. Thank you."

"I highly protest against this, Senator," Panaka said. "It's dangerous out there. We don't know what kind of veil lives on this planet or in that town. If the attacking ship is still in this orbit, they may spot you." 

Maberrie stood up from where she had been sitting. "I don't believe in the impossible, Captain. I know the dangers which I take are mine alone to bear. You can either accompany me or not, it's your choice. I'm glad you're concerned for my welfare, but I have to try. I don't want to be stuck on this damn rock anymore than any of you. That's why I'm doing this!" 

With that final sentence, she turned and stalked to her room, Sabé behind her. She gave Qui-Gon an agitated look.

"She's very persistent," Qui-Gon observed.

"Yes, but she's brilliant in the Senate," Panaka remarked. "And her persistent won her the seat on Naboo." He sighed. "We have to get out of here. Whoever attacked us may attack again."

Qui-Gon didn't voice his question, but as Panaka spoke he thought of it again:

_Why hadn't the attackers attacked again?_

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	5. Chapter Four

Many thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: **Foxy, jedijane, Nightgoddess, Obi-WansPadawan. And thanks to all who have reviewed, period! Thank you for the kindness! You all are the best. J **

__________________________________________________

Chapter Four

_On my knees I pray to you  
Help me find the dawn  
Of the dying day_

_- Light My Way, Audioslave _

Sabé went with Senator Maberrie and Qui-Gon back to the shop. Obi-Wan didn't seem surprised to see them as they came in. He smiled charmingly at the Senator. "And to whom do I owe this honor?" he asked. 

Senator Maberrie offered her hand, but Obi-Wan didn't take it. He showed them the grease and cuts on his hand. "I don't think you want to shake my hand, ma'am," he said truthfully, sincerely. She stared at him a second, then nodded tightly. "Who, if I may ask, are you? These two I know." He indicated Qui-Gon and Sabé.

"I am Senator Abila Maberrie of Naboo," she said proudly. Obi-Wan's eyes turned to disbelief. 

"Naboo?" he asked, bewildered. When she nodded at his obvious question, he turned and shouted behind him, "Macab! You want to be in here!"

He came in, grumbling. "We're never going to get any work done if you keep interrupting me!" 

"This is Senator Abila Maberrie," he said pointedly. When Macab made no action, he added, "of _Naboo_."

That changed his entire demeanor. He did everything but get down on a knee and offer his life. "Senator! What a pleasure, what a pleasure to meet you! I'm so honored! Please, please, have a seat." He shoved Obi-Wan off the desk stool and offered it to the Senator, who declined politely. "Would you like water? Some food? I think I have some-"

"They're here on business, Macab!" Obi-Wan snapped. He pointed at his friend. "This is my business partner, Macab. What can we do for you? I believe you have my price."

Macab stared at Obi-Wan, dumbfounded. He looked at Qui-Gon, his mind clicking. They were traveling together! Her ship needed parts! 

"Your price is ridiculously high," Maberrie said evenly, her voice calm. "You must understand that we do not have that kind of money out here in the desert so far from Coruscant or Naboo. If we do not get these prices, I assure you that we won't survive. It's idiotic to charge us this much for simple repairs and parts! Its-"

"Hey, excuse me!" Obi-Wan rebutted. "But what you're asking for is almost an entirely new engine. That costs money, ma'am, and I'm sorry you don't have it, but we run a business here! We can't just lower the prices for anyone. It brings down our name. We can't have people doubting us, not out here. You seem like a wise lady. You should know this."

"You have no idea," Maberrie replied, "how much we need those parts. People are chasing us. They want us dead. We have to get off Candalas."

Her face was inches from his. He smiled at her, cocked his head, and then shook it. "Well, I'm sorry for you, but you go feed that story somewhere else. I'm sure everyone will be touched."

Maberrie refused to be defeated. "I can get you the money later. After we return to Naboo, I'll send-"

"Hey, sorry, lady. We don't do those kinds of deals. All apologies." He glanced at Qui-Gon. "So I'm sorry. But we can't help you."

"Obi-Wan-"Macab began in a small voice.

"Oh, shut it for once, Macab," Obi-Wan snapped. He glared at Qui-Gon, hostile. "This is non negotiable."

For a long moment nobody spoke. Finally, Maberrie said, "fine. Let's go." 

They left.

Macab exploded. "Naboo, Obi-Wan! Naboo! If we fix their ship… oh my stars! If we fix their ship they may take me with them! My dream world, Obi-Wan! If we fix their ship, I can leave! I can get off this rock! Don't you understand? It's my dream, Obi-Wan! My dream!"

Obi-Wan snapped then. "Your dream? Oh, let's all cry for Macab's faded dream. I'm in tears, Macab, really I am. But, honestly, I don't care if your dream dies. It'll be just like my dream. Every dream dies. I learned that when I was thirteen. Thirteen, Macab! It took you all this time to realize that?"

Macab whirled, grabbed a datapad, and threw it against the wall. They stopped to watch it shatter. Obi-Wan faced Macab with small, angry eyes. Macab backed up a step, stunned by the angry sea of colors in Obi-Wan's eyes. He had never seen eyes that angry before.

 "You imbecile! You're going to let my dream die for what happened to you? How selfish is that?"

"I don't give a damn how selfish I am, Macab!" Obi-Wan shouted, all control gone. 

"You're being a rotten Hutt right now, Obi-Wan. It's not like you care about what happens to you! You only wake up to wake up! You told me that!"

"You have no idea what he did to me," Obi-Wan said. 

Macab stopped raving and looked at the pain in Obi-Wan's eyes. His first thought was concern. It blocked out the anger. "Did he hurt you? When? Say the word, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan was touched by Macab's affection for him, but he had slipped. He had never told Macab about the Jedi. He had never even meant to speak the words he just had. He had gotten lost in his pain and his anger. The fact that he wasn't in control of his emotions scared him slightly. He had always been in control.

"It's nothing, Macab," he said simply, quietly. "Never mind."

Macab stared at his friend. His anger burned within him. "I'll hurt him if you want, Obi-Wan. It makes no difference to me if he lives."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, attempting to shut off the pain, but it didn't work. "I know you don't. That's what I like about you. Let it drop."

Macab backed away. He wanted to say more about Naboo, but his better sense told him if they argued Obi-Wan was going off the edge. That scared him more than anything else in the galaxy. He cared for the younger man, but he also knew of his distaste for life. Anything that sent Obi-Wan off might send him into a suicidal rage. He had once been like that. He had no intention of repeating it.

He went back into the courtyard.

Obi-Wan held his head in his hands, breathing deeply. He was ashamed. He had let himself go.

The door opened again.

__________

"Don't feel bad, Senator. You did all you could." Qui-Gon leaned against the pole to which many emus were tied up. "We just have to get the money." He paid the man for two of the creatures and they started off. "We'll find some way."

Maberrie hadn't spoken a word since leaving the shop. Qui-Gon figured she was trying to solve the problem single handedly, but to do so he knew she needed him. Qui-Gon knew Obi-Wan better than any of them and that could prove useful if the Senator would let him in.

As they passed the shop, she spoke. "Sabé, you're a very pretty young girl."  
  


That made them both stop. Sabé stared at the Senator strangely. "Um… thank you, Senator."

"You know this Obi-Wan?" Maberrie asked of Qui-Gon. 

Qui-Gon was hesitant. "I do."

"Then tell me," she said, flashing a smile, "how is he around females?"

Whatever Qui-Gon had been expecting it wasn't that. His eyes widened, and then narrowed. He glanced at Sabé. "What are you suggesting, Senator?"

"Sabé," the woman said. "You're willing to help us off this rock?"

"Yes," Sabé answered automatically, although her voice wavered thinly.

"Then there's no use fretting around the subject. Sabé seduces the man. She gets him to lower the price. The other man, Macab, doesn't seem as difficult, but Obi-Wan's a strong point and is holding him up. We need to get Obi-Wan to break down. We give him Sabé."

Shocked was a big enough word to describe Qui-Gon's emotions. He stared at the woman, then at Sabé. That was lower than low. He didn't want to have the girl this deeply involved. She was too young for something of that caliber. He also didn't know of her skill at undercover work. Obi-Wan was sure to catch on. In their short time together, Qui-Gon had learned too things about Obi-Wan Kenobi: he was resourceful and he saw beneath the surface.

Normally two good traits. Not good now.

"Sabé?" Maberrie asked gently.

Sabé didn't appear too surprised at the news. She stared at the Senator, burning a hole through her. After a long, tense moment, she said, "I'll do it."

__________

"Oh, okay, I'm very sorry for your cause, but no is no!" Obi-Wan lashed at Sabé as she stepped into the shop. He narrowed his eyes at her. "This is not a matter of negotiation."

Sabé ignored him and came closer. "I'm not here to negotiate," she said faintly. "I don't really care what happens to those two."

Obi-Wan had been leaving to the courtyard but her words stopped him and he turned. "You don't care? Now, I don't believe that."

Sabé's gaze was icy. "You don't know me. You don't understand what that woman has done to me."

He looked at her closer. He chuckled softly. "And what did she do to you, Sabé?"

Her eyes shifted to the ground. "I don't know you," she said softly. "And I don't expect kindness because you don't seem like a kind man. You're more cynical and careless. And you've been through pain."

His eyes turned hard. "You're a soul searcher now?"  
  


"You could say I'm nothing." She shrugged. "I honestly don't care. I just want you to know that I'm like you."

At this Obi-Wan went around the counter and stood less than a foot away from her. His fists were clenched at his side, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes set in small, angry silts. His eyes, usually a beautiful mix of green, gray and blue, were now an angry torrent of dark green and gray. She backed up a step, but he followed her. For a moment she was afraid. 

"You," he huffed, "are not like me in anyway. Do you understand that?"

Sabé made no noise. 

"Do you understand that?" he demanded loudly.

Sabé refused to let herself be frightened. She was a handmaiden. She faced danger everyday. This man would not kill her. The only thing she now worried about was the odds of breaking down Obi-Wan's barriers. They seemed slim to none at the moment, and she cursed herself. Maybe her approach wasn't as good as she thought it would be. Maybe appealing to his pain had only made him sink into it more. 

His voice went to the silken tone of barely contained rage. How could she have set him off this badly?

"I am nothing like you."

Sabé took a deep breath, and then said, "We all have pain. I don't know what yours is, but I'm betting it's pretty damn close to mine. She hates me."

He rebounded off her and angrily went back behind the counter. "It's no concern of mine."

"My mother hates me. She rejects me for another."

His stared at her, his heart pulling at the word "reject." He opened his mouth, and then closed it.

"Senator Maberrie is my mother. She uses me as her bodyguard to keep her safe. She doesn't care if I live or die. As long as I live and don't cast doubt on her, she's fine. This trip was the last straw. She was going to take me to a convent! She wants me to be a holy woman!"

Obi-Wan played with his fingers. "Why are you telling this?"

"I want to stay here."

He smiled at her then, more a sneer. "If you're expecting sympathy I'm not an ear for you."

"Then I don't expect any." Her voice was pitched. "I want to stay."

"So I've heard."

"You're not angry anymore."

Obi-Wan regarded her with a wary eye. After a moment he nodded. "I'm not."

"You're surprised and you are sorry."

His smile widened. 

"I want to stay."

He sighed. His mind whirled. He had never anticipated this. How could he have? It was so unreal. Seeing Qui-Gon had set him off. Seeing the girl had awakened emotions he had not known for a long time. It hurt him to think of all he had been deprived of: love, security, a reason to breathe…

Was the girl like him? 

"I probably feel the same pain you do," she said tentatively, aware of her error last time. "If I don't, the only thing that matters is that I feel pain. Pain is alike. It always hurts. Some pain never heals."

He looked at her, amazed. How could she only be sixteen? She was so wise and carried herself with a simple grace that amused him to no ends. His eyes softened and he smiled tenderly. 

_What if I give her something no one ever gave me? What if I give her a home?_

He looked at her with a new kindness in his eyes. 

"It's no daydream," he warned her. "We live low."

She shrugged. "Been on worse planets."

He nodded. "Fine by me." He twisted his head. "Macab?"

"Fine by me," he called. "She's from Naboo."

He winked at her. "Macab likes Naboo."

Sabé looked at him, amazed. "Would it be totally off the wall if I said I think you're cool?"

"No one's ever told me that," he answered her, his laugh small. "You understand it's tough?"

"I understand!" Sabé said, probably too quickly, but he didn't pick up on anything. 

"Okay then. Rule one: I'm the boss. Rule two: we don't get paid. We ask for money. It's been Macab and me for a long time. We take what we need and nothing more. You probably come from a very lavish world, and that's fine, as long as you leave it there. Whatever problems you had, have, or whatever, you leave them on Naboo. You understand?"

She nodded.

Macab came into the shop. He smiled at Sabé. "Welcome to the club." He looked at Obi-Wan. "Can I talk to you?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Sabé, take the counter. Just call us if anyone comes in." He followed Macab into the courtyard. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Macab blurted. His eyes were wounded, as if someone had just pulled the curtain over them and the only thing you could see was a faint twist of light. "It wasn't my right to explode on you like that. I know I'm an idiot sometimes, and this is one of the key times. I know… I know it's not my right to tell you what to do. You had the idea of the shop, you had the money. You're the boss, I know that. It's not like I cared at that time. I just wanted to do something.

"I don't like being angry. I don't like to see you hurting. You know I'll hurt the guy, right?"

Obi-Wan had to smile at Macab's words. Macab walked on a thin tightrope between insane and sane. He was completely normal some days; he was a guy who worked for a living and went home to sleep. He ate, he drank, and he slept like anyone else would. His insane days- and they scared Obi-Wan when they happened- were little less than momentous. He woke up in a crazy haze, screaming and yelling. Obi-Wan wouldn't let him come to the store on those days. He would go into a violent rage, seeking something to inflict hurt upon. It was like he was blind those days, because if he saw Obi-Wan it didn't matter. He would seek him. Obi-Wan had been forced to defend himself on more than one day. It would last the entire day, someday the two, and then he would wake up in the morning and be completely fine. Sometimes Obi-Wan thought he was mentally insane, but he valued Macab too much to take him to a doctor. 

When he wasn't on one of his insane days, he always acted a little like it. He loved violence, no doubt of it. He'd been a loner in his younger days, and that had worn off on him. He'd taken vengeance. Macab wasn't very close on his past; he liked the world to know he had been a hurt kid and was a crazy adult. Obi-Wan worried about him sometimes, but he valued him all the same. 

Macab was his tether to the real world, and Macab knew that. He was a good friend, Macab, but he didn't know Obi-Wan's past and that damaged their friendship at times like these. Macab was insensitive sometimes, but it was because he didn't know. That was Obi-Wan's fault, but the former Jedi wasn't one who liked to wear his past in the open. That caused others to wonder, and he didn't like that.

"I know you will, Macab. Just… don't. Don't hurt him." 

_Although he probably deserves it, he thought._

Macab let out a long, slow breath. "I want to go with them to Naboo."

Obi-Wan's eyes sparked. "You've told me, Macab. I know-"

"I'm going to ask them to take me once they pay," Macab interrupted. "Maybe they will and I'll finally be able to get off Candalas. If they don't, I'm taking my share and I'm leaving on my own."

"Fine by me, Macab. It's fine by me. You take Sabé home with you tonight. I'm leaving now."

"Why so early?" Macab asked.

He shrugged. "I need time to think."

"Go ahead," Macab muttered. He squatted down to pick up a rag. Obi-Wan was almost into the courtyard when Macab called after him, "I'm not kidding, Kenobi. I'm going to go to Naboo. I'm going to find a way. I'll find a way. Anyway."

Uneasiness slipped into Obi-Wan, and he disappeared inside the shop.

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	6. Chapter Five

Many, many thank you's to everyone who has reviewed so far, and to Melissa Jooty and Obi-WansPadawan, who reviewed the last chapter.

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Chapter Five

_I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside_

_I wanna reach out and touch the flames_

_- Where the Streets Have No Names, _U2

Although the wooden fence was tattered and rotting, it did its purpose. In one area there was a section missing, giving the impression of a broken circle. Maybe it was ironic in that one sense. It was through that part Obi-Wan entered, his pack slung over one shoulder, his hood low over his face. Setting the pack down against one of broken posts, he lowered his hood and glanced around. 

The only other person in Negdraw who knew about the fence was Macab, and he had only come once, years ago, when Obi-Wan had discovered the ring. Excited, he had practically dragged Macab from the shop one afternoon to show him the treasure. Macab, cynical to the very end, had slapped him upside the head once he saw it. That had hurt Obi-Wan's feelings then, but he realized later the walk was a labor for his friend. He was far older than the former Jedi, and he had a bad knee. 

That had been five years ago, when Obi-Wan had been fourteen. He had painted it then, too: a striking blue color which had dimmed to a pale blackish one. He had tried to preserve the place best he could, but after a while it got tedious. He only needed it for its use. No one else saw it, so why should he care?

After removing his shirt, he sucked in the air. The ring was a good twenty miles from Negdraw. Sometimes Obi-Wan ran it, to give himself an extra workout. Today, though, he had needed to think, so he took the path slowly, stopping often to just sit and gaze into the sand dunes. 

He dragged a rock to the center of the ring, then went and hopped onto one of the sturdier pieces of woods. Closing his eyes, he extended his arm out in front of him and concentrated, clearing his mind and reaching out to the Force. 

If Qui-Gon knew he had continued his Jedi training, he would be furious. As it was, Obi-Wan wasn't even sure why he did it. Maybe, in some odd way, he had wished that one day Qui-Gon would find him, and somehow see that Obi-Wan had defied him. Maybe, more importantly, he had wanted Qui-Gon to see he had been meant to be a Jedi, but because of whatever demons in his past, Qui-Gon had stopped fate. It was his fate to be a Jedi, but Qui-Gon had put it on hold because of his stupid demons.

The rock dropped.

Obi-Wan cursed himself. He had to clear his mind. He closed his eyes tighter, and channeled all the energy of the Force into the levitating the rock off the ground. In his mind's eye, he saw the rock start to rise. He urged it on, pushing. The rock rose a good thirty feet in the air before he let it slowly return to the ground. He opened his eyes as it hit the ground, and he wished Qui-Gon had seen him. 

He levitated the rock for bit more until it got boring, and then rolled it out of the ring. Taking a mat from his pack, he laid it on the ground, smoothing it out delicately. Sitting on his knees, he closed his eyes and folded his hands over his lap. He leaned back, clearing his mind and concentrating on his breathing. He would do a defensive kata today. He smiled grimly at the irony of that. 

Offensive kata. Highest level. Good. He let out a long, relaxing breath, and then sprang into motion.

For at least half an hour he was caught in the rhythm of his breathing and his body. He executed each move with graceful precision and wonderful talent. Obi-Wan had done the kata many times before, but this time he meant every chop and every strike against his imaginary opponent. He struck downward with his elbow, loving the freeness it gave his arm. He punched out, caught in the feeling it gave him. 

Usually he did his sequence twice because of its difficulty, but today he pushed his body and asked for more. Every motion was a labor to take. Sweat dripped down his face and chest as he struck out and kicked. He did a somersault in mid air, and as he came down he chopped with his arm into his opponent. He could almost feel his arm hitting flesh, and as he pulled back to kick, he lost his balance and fell.

He lay where he fell, struggling to take a breath. He gasped for air; sweet, precious dusty air. He gulped in, his lungs painful. He felt so sick.

Why had he done that? In the desert heat it was close to suicidal. Still gasping to breathe, he staggered over to his pack and took his canteen out. The water tickled his throat, and he spit it out, still coughing. He called on the Force and asked his breath to slow. He let his mind go to that, and soon he had air. He drank.

He was letting Qui-Gon's presence get to him. Sithspawn, he was letting it! He was stronger than that. Six years with no one who cared made him stronger. It had to. So what if Qui-Gon had murdered his dream? It wasn't important anymore. There was nothing that could change that and it was fruitless thinking of anything else. He bit his lip in anger until he tasted blood.

So much for not caring.

He rolled up the mat and shoved it in his pack messily, not caring. Slinging it over his shoulder, he checked around him once before he started home. He wasn't pleased with the workout. It had been far too short, and it had been terrible. He had lost his concentration and fallen. He had never fallen before, not even when he began the katas. Shame beat at his mind, and he didn't try to deny it. He knew it was well placed

By the time he reached the shop, Macab and Sabé were gone. He surprised himself. He must have been gone for hours. He let himself in, switching on the lights. They had closed shop early, which meant there had been no customers. Business was usually okay, but rarely did they go two weeks without a customer, and it was edging just that. He threw his pack in a corner and opened the door to 'fresher. 

Fifteen minutes later, showered and refreshed, he emerged from the 'fresher, toweling his hair when he saw… Sabé. 

Obi-Wan wasn't one to show his surprise, but inside his insides had just done a somersault. She had just appeared out of nowhere! He forced himself to take a breath, letting out his surprise. He wouldn't dare show her – and not anyone else – how startled he had been.   
  


"_What_," he demanded, "are you _doing _here?"

She backed up a few steps. "I couldn't sleep. Mr. Syrai went to bed, and he just told me to sleep. He didn't say-"

"Mr. Syrai?" Obi-Wan interrupted. "Who in the blazes is Mr. Syrai?" He had a guess and it was probably correct, but could it be true?

She looked at him, confused. "Your partner, Macab."

For a moment, Obi-Wan did nothing. Sabé was beginning to think she had said something wrong when he burst out laughing. He clutched the door frame of the 'fresher and he bent at the waist and laughed. His laughed peeled off the walls and echoed out of the shop through the open door. After a while Sabé gave a short laugh and moved to sit on the stool counter, convinced Obi-Wan was insane. 

Obi-Wan couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard. It had to be years. Nothing amused him enough to make him roll in laughter, but Sabé's word on Macab sent him into hysterics. Macab had never told Obi-Wan his last name and he had figured Macab had none. Apparently Macab had gone into one of his states and had asked Sabé to call him Mr. Syrai. Oh, Force, it was hilarious!

When he had run out of air, Obi-Wan croaked and saw Sabé looking at him strangely. Gulping in his laughter, he managed to ask, "Did he ask you to call him that?"

Sabé smiled. "I wanted to call him that. It's a handmaiden thing."

He stood up to his full height and laughed again at Sabé. "He's never told me his last name."

Her smile widened. "I figured that much, the way you were laughing over there."

Quite suddenly he realized that he was naked from the waist up. His cheeks flushing, he went into the 'fresher and yanked his tunic over his head.  When he came back into the shop, Sabé had figured out why he had left and was laughing at him. He cocked his eyebrow at her. She put her flashlight down.

"It's not that bad, you know," she said, giggling. 

"For you, it's not," Obi-Wan shot back. 

Sabé smiled at him charmingly. She looked far older than her sixteen years. She was so mature it was hard to imagine her as only sixteen. "You know, it's not like I haven't seen anything in my life, Obi-Wan. Naboo isn't just made of females."

"I see," Obi-Wan muttered. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and suddenly remembering their previous conversation. "Wait, wait. You left the house by yourself and walked here? Without Macab's knowledge?"

"It-"Sabé started, nodding.

"Don't you ever do that, Sabé. Don't you ever do that again!" he said sharply. "It's a mile from there to here! Do you realize what could have happened between there?"

Sabé looked at him in mild surprise. His sharp tone hurt her a little, but she was shocked he was actually a little _worried about her. He didn't appear to her like one who would worry a lot, especially over a little thing like her wandering through the night. She did that on Naboo a lot when her mother was sleeping and no one needed her. "Actually, Obi-Wan, I didn't think about what happened. It's not that dangerous. I had a flashlight."_

Obi-Wan's lip curled. "I don't trust people, Sabé. The people on Candalas are… the men are starved, in a sense. The females here… they have men. You-"

Sabé suddenly burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that she almost fell off the stool she was sitting on. On her feet now, she clutched her stomach and stumbled into a wall. Rolling with laughing, she slid to the ground. Obi-Wan was shocked at her reaction, also angered. She didn't realize the danger she was in! 

She was laughing so freely that Obi-Wan caught the bug and began to laugh as well. 

"You…worry… about that?" Sabé gasped through her laugh. "I…can't…" 

"It's a problem!" Obi-Wan said in defense as he moved closer to her. His laughing under control, he helped her up. She continued to laugh heartily and fell against him in her laughter. "It wasn't that funny, you know. And I was serious."

"Sure you were," Sabé gasped, smiling up at him. Her laughing turned into giggles and they spilled from her lips without restraint. He held her, convinced she was crazy. How long could a person laugh, anyway? He was beginning to think he could record the time when her giggles peeled away and there was silence. He began to let go of her but she wrapped her arms around him.

"Um, Sabé?" he asked awkwardly. Her head was against his chest. "Sabé?"

"What?" she asked.

"You can let go of me now," he said lightly. She was making him uncomfortable, although he would by lying if he said he didn't like the feel of her hugging him. 

"Oh." She backed up a little and smiled at him. She liked to do that a lot. "Sorry." 

He chose not to pry into it and moved away from her. He busied himself with rolling the cot out and placing it against the normal wall. She was watching him again from the stool, and he didn't blame her. It wasn't like she had anything else to do. As he threw the pillow on the cot, he realized he would have to walk her back to the hut. He groaned aloud.

"What?"

"I have to take you back. I know it's still fairly early, but I don't want to be walking around in Negdraw at this time of night."

"So you're worried someone will attack you?" she teased.

Irritated and tired, he snapped, "This isn't a game, Sabé! The people in Negdraw get desperate some times for a play and they'll do anything to get it. They come out later in the night, which is why I have to get you home. I'm in no mood to fight anyone tonight. If you brought anything with you, get it, we'll leave now." 

Her voice wasn't quiet enough to mask her mutters, and as he passed her to get his cloak and a blaster, she muttered, "fine, fine. It's not like it's a big deal or something. Honestly."

Obi-Wan grabbed his blaster and spun around. He shoved it in his belt and brought her face close to his. "It _is a big deal, and if you're going to stay here I suggest you learn that. C'mon."_

Slightly miffed at Obi-Wan's words, Sabé took the flashlight and followed him out of the shop. He locked the door and took the flashlight. "We're not going to use it. People would find us too easily. I know the way, eyes closed. Just stay close to me."

"Whatever, macho," Sabé muttered, following the former Jedi.

__________

"Is she in place?" 

The hologram revealed a medium height and built hooded figure. From the way the figure was standing, it wasn't easy to tell if the figure was male or female, but the receiver of the message knew it was male. The receiver leaned back in his large chair, intent on the information he was about to receive.

"She contacted me earlier, Master," he said. "It was quick, but she informed she was in place and was ready for the first stage of the plan. I sent the group as you requested and they should be meeting them soon. I should be receiving word within an hour's time, sir. I'll contact you immediately."

"No," the receiver responded. "I have a meeting with someone soon. I'll contact you."

"Yes, Master." 

"Make sure it happens, my young apprentice. I will not take failing for an answer."

"Yes, sir."

__________

The first half of the journey was uneventful. Sabé was having a hard time in the dark with the dress she was wearing. Obi-Wan had never heard a female cuss like she did ever time she tripped, and he had to admit it amused him to no ends. As she tripped again and let out a long string of cussing, he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing in her face. The flashlight shook in his hands.

"I've read some stuff on Candalas," she said as he helped her up. "And not one said there was so much sand."

In the darkness she couldn't see his smile. "Well, did you expect water and rain? Maybe some greenery?"

"Not everything is a joke," she replied. 

"And not everything has to be so serious," he responded, silencing her with a wave of his hand. It was unwise to be talking in the dark. They passed a line of buildings which surrounded a rotting fountain like thing. It had been there before Obi-Wan had arrived, and he had never looked into it. 

They came to a gap between buildings and Obi-Wan held Sabé back. He peeked around the corner to the lighted fountain thing and saw nothing. As they walked quickly across the gap, Sabé looked and asked quietly, "what is that?"

"I call it the rotting fountain thing," Obi-Wan said without looking.

"No," Sabé said. "It's moving."

Obi-Wan realized how cliché it was the moment before something crashed into his head and he sprawled forward, unconscious.

__________

Qui-Gon was standing watch in front of Senator Maberrie's door when a disturbance through the Force made him gasp. Immediately he closed his eyes and began to work his way through the many tendrils of the Force, searching for the problem. The disturbance had come from close by, yet not in the vicinity of the ship. What he found made him draw back in surprise.

Obi-Wan was in trouble, and, either because he didn't know how or had been too surprised, he had sent his distress through the Force. 

Qui-Gon frowned. Every since he had seen the man again, his thoughts had always been with him. He couldn't ignore the cry, even if he wanted to. Sabé may also be with him, and she was crucial to their mission. He checked the hallway again, and then started to the cockpit to find Panaka. The Senator had to be protected at all costs, and although Qui-Gon didn't think it necessary, Panaka wanted a guard at the Senator's door at all times. 

"Captain Panaka?" Qui-Gon called as he entered.

"He's outside, sir," the pilot replied. "He's watching the entrance."

"Thank you," Qui-Gon said and exited the ship. He found Panaka standing at attention, his blaster in his hand. He was gazing out at the darkness as if it was some kind of enemy. "Captain?"  
  


Panaka had seen him and regarded Qui-Gon uniformly. "You are supposed to be protecting the Senator, with all due respect, sir."

Qui-Gon felt irritation tickle through him. "I know this, Captain. Something has happened to Sabé."

The got Panaka's attention and he swiveled his head. "Miss Sabé? Is she okay?"

"I'm going to check on her, Captain. Please post a guard at Senator Maberrie's door or however you wish. Do you have a flashlight I can borrow?"

Panaka handed over his quickly. "I'll post a guard. I'll make sure no one harms her. Make sure Miss Sabé is all right, please, Master Jedi." He sprinted up the ramp and towards the cockpit.

Taking a deep breath and reaching through the Force, he started out. 

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	7. Chapter Six

Hola, folks, and I now bring you the next chapter of my fanfic. Thank you to all that have reviewed, and I promise that you're getting your money's worth. 

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Chapter Six

_Once upon a time I was of the mind  
To lay your burden down  
And leave you where you stood_

_- Shadow on the Sun, Audioslave _

When Obi-Wan awoke he was in some sort of holding cell. His hands were tied tightly behind his back and his feet tied against a hook in the wall. Blinding light filled his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, struggling to gain a hold of where he was. Coughing a little bit, he shook his head slowly and tried to make sense of the terribly bright world around him. 

First thing: where was he? Shrugging his head around, he saw that he was indeed in some kind of cell. The walls were clear and black, smooth as river rock. He saw a door in the corner and frowned. His arms were tightly bound behind his back in a way that his shoulder sockets were strained and painful. He couldn't see well, but from the corner of his eye he saw a rope tied against a wall. He legs were crossed at the ankles, tied with rope. The rope was attached to some kind of hook in the wall. 

Second thing: what happened? Obi-Wan thought back. 

He had taken a shower. Okay. After that he had come out and had seen Sabé. Okay. After that… they had laughed and he was about to take her home. They were walking-

Oh, Sith. 

Obi-Wan began to buckle in his binds, anger starting to waver over him. Someone had attacked him, and he hadn't even heard it! He wanted to lash at himself. How could he not have known? He was usually so good at that kind of thing. It had been the only thing he had excelled at when he had been Jedi: no Force-sensitive or danger could hide from him. How could-

He stopped struggling.

He was usually so good at that kind of thing… nothing had ever surprised that badly before. The attack had to make some noise. Not even a Jedi could sneak up like that. How could he have not known about it? He didn't have many Jedi skills, but picking out danger was one of his talents. How could he have not known?

Someone had to be blocking him. By deduction it had to be a Force-sensitive, and the only one around besides him was Qui-Gon Jinn.

Qui-Gon Jinn. The dream killer. Although Obi-Wan harbored a great dislike of the man, he didn't think Qui-Gon would attack him. There was no logical reason to do so. He was pretty sure Qui-Gon either hated him or disliked him, but that still gave no logic. Qui-Gon was a Jedi of the Light. He didn't do things like go knocking people out just for the fun of it, even if Obi-Wan wasn't his favorite person in the galaxy. It just wasn't in his character, and Obi-Wan had gone over and over about Qui-Gon's characteristics and why the Jedi hadn't chosen him as a Padawan.

However, Qui-Gon was the only other Force-sensitive. If he didn't block his use of the Force then who would? Who was it? More importantly, why would anyone attack him? He wasn't important or anything, he was only a parts dealer. If anyone in Negdraw wanted to get someone important, they may as well have gone after the Naboo senator.

_Sabé!_

Obi-Wan wanted to top himself right there and then. He had completely forgotten about the girl. Was she the real target of the attack? Where was she? Where was he?

So many questions and no answers.

Footsteps came. They stopped. 

The door opened.

__________

Qui-Gon listened through the Force, struggling to put his finger on where Obi-Wan's signature was emitting from. He ran through the desert, seeing the lights of Negdraw in the distance. He was almost there, but still couldn't find Obi-Wan's mark. 

He reached the town. 

He shone his flashlight on a hut. It looked abandoned and a perfect place to hold Obi-Wan if anyone had taken him, which he had begun to think. After he examined the hut he would sprint to the store. After that he would have to comb through every building in the town until he found Sabé or the former Jedi. 

As he was heading towards the door, his flashlight aimed, he heard movement and ducked the moment a blaster bolt went flying through the wood and at his head. He rolled away, igniting his lightsaber. He dropped the flashlight, its light failing. He stayed dead still, waiting for the next move. Whoever was in the hut wanted him gone or dead, although Qui-Gon highly suspected the latter.

"Jedi?" a voice cried out through the window. Still holding the lightsaber up, Qui-Gon crept towards the hut. "Wait, Jedi!"

The door flung open and a man holding a flashlight came stumbling out. With the light shining in his face, Qui-Gon recognized the man as Obi-Wan business partner, Macab. Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. "Is Obi-Wan here?"

Macab looked at him, puzzled. "He's at the store. We always have one-"

"What about Sabé?"

Macab's eyes widened. "I forgot about her!" He sprinted back towards the house, Qui-Gon behind him. They came to a skidding halt at the door. Macab flipped a light on. 

"Obi-Wan is in trouble," Qui-Gon said shortly, turning around from the empty hut. "I think Sabé may be with him."

The man's eyes squinted into silts. He followed Qui-Gon. "How do you know?"  
  


"I have a strong feeling about this," Qui-Gon answered quietly, breaking into a run for the shop.

"Well, I'm coming with you!" Macab said, dashing in front of the Jedi. "You don't know the way."

"Then lead me!" Qui-Gon growled. 

They reached the shop in less than seven minutes. Macab stopped, his hands going to his knees. He leaned over, panting for breath. Qui-Gon approached the shop, breathing hard. The lights were off, and he sensed no life forms inside. Using the Force, he unlocked the lock and flipped the lights on.

It was deserted. 

"They're not there," Macab wheezed, watching the Jedi. He stood up, running his hands through his hair as he did so. Qui-Gon could barely see him in the dim moonlight, but he saw enough to know that his lip was curled in anger and his dark green eyes glistened with rage. His fists were clenched at his sides and pressed against each other tightly. "He would never leave the shop alone. Something's happened!"

Without a word, Macab started towards a building. It looked tattered and old, on the verge of collapsing into itself. The paint was a sick kind of yellow that gave Qui-Gon the impression it was as disgusted with itself as much as Negdraw was disgusted with it. Qui-Gon watched Macab set out across the darkened dirt road until he was little more than a speck, then called on the Force and sprinted over. 

"What's that?" he asked.

"Deserted building where the Red Clan lives," Macab growled. "The Red Clan hates me."

Macab's voice was on the edge, alarming him. He wanted to stop him from going into the building, but something held him back. He didn't have any idea what the Red Clan was, but he had a feeling that it was important. The Force called to him lightly, urging him on. "What is the Red Clan?" he asked.

Macab grunted in reply as they reached the steps. "Just stay here, Jedi," he snarled. "I can handle this."

It was at this that Qui-Gon had to step in. "I'm sorry, Macab, but I have a duty to protect the innocent. Let me handle this, okay? Just follow me and tell who the Red Clan is."

Macab opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. He inserted himself in front of Qui-Gon and stepped into the building. Immediately in front of them was a flight of stairs. To the right and left were pure cement wall. He started up, and Qui-Gon had no choice but to follow. 

"The Red Clan," Macab explained in a quiet voice as they crept up the stairs, "is a gang of Negdraw's teenagers and middle-aged kids. There's only about twenty of them, but they like to vandalize the shop. That's why we always keep one person at the shop during the night. They don't dare come out during the day because of what happened a few months ago." He paused and listened. There was no sound. "They tried to rob the shop. I wasn't around and there were ten of them. They beat Obi-Wan up badly and were ransacking the place when I came." 

Macab let the silence hang, and then turned back to Qui-Gon, a smile on his face. "I scared them bad. I shot a couple of them with my blaster and kicked the others out. They were so desperate to get out they were tripping over each other!" He laughed lightly. "That was a beautiful sight. Needless to say, they'll never try our place during the day or the night when I'm there. Obi-Wan, on the other hand…"

His voice trailed off and he began climbing the stairs again. Qui-Gon wasn't repulsed, but he was stunned. How could Obi-Wan be friends with this blood-thirsty Macab? It just didn't fit in with what Qui-Gon had gathered from Obi-Wan's character. Yet another way he had surprised the Jedi. 

"They're on the third floor," Macab hissed, slowing his steps. "I don't hear a lot of them. Probably some of them are raiding something." He voice held barely suppressed anger. "I'll go in first, since they know me-"

"Which is why you're not going in first," Qui-Gon replied, sliding gracefully to stand in front of Macab. "They'll fire on you. They don't know me-"

"_No,"_ Macab spat. 

"-and let's keep it that way. I'll walk in, ask, and then I'll call you if need be." Qui-Gon glared at Macab. "Stay here. We'll get to Obi-Wan quicker this way."

Macab took the blaster from his belt. "I'll keep this end clear, then," he said. His eyes melted holes in Qui-Gon. "Don't bail on me. You hurt Obi-Wan before." Before Qui-Gon could get in a word Macab was down the stairs.

Angry, Qui-Gon stepped up the final flight and was greeted with the site of a bare floor on which about ten beings were sitting. The moment they heard someone step onto the floor they all jumped and spun around, reaching for weapons. 

Qui-Gon spread his arms. "I mean no harm."

The beings did not move. Someone took a dagger and pointed it at him. "Who are you?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I was wondering if you had any information about a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi. He owns the shop across the street and is a parts dealer." When no one moved, he went on. "He's nineteen or twenty and has light brown hair. His eyes are blue?" When it was clear no one was going to respond, he said, "I know you know who he is. You robbed his shop some time ago."

At this, one of the younger female beings shouted, "We didn't rob it!"

"Be quiet, Peg!" the man with the knife snapped. He came forward a little. "I don't know any Obi-Wan Kenobi, sir, but I know a Ben Kenobi. He's a parts dealer and owns the shop across the street with that blasted fool Macab. I think that's who you're looking for."

Qui-Gon remembered the lady who had told them the way to the store. She had said "Macab and Ben." Obi-Wan must have given the townspeople a different name, yet Macab called him Obi-Wan. He frowned. Was Obi-Wan trying to hide from the Jedi or was he trying to start fresh? Qui-Gon suspected the latter, and he had to respect that, although it made things harder. 

"I'm looking for Ben Kenobi," Qui-Gon rephrased. 

At that the man laughed. He was nothing more than a boy, really. "I can't tell you that, sir."

Qui-Gon waved his hand. "Tell me where Ben Kenobi is."

"I'll tell you where he is," the boy said, shrugging. "Mason-"

"Ty!" the girl cried.

"- and some of the others were sent to get him and some girl."

Qui-Gon felt a trickle of fear creep up his spine. "Tell me where they are." 

"Mason was supposed to take them to some ship in the desert."

Qui-Gon cursed. "Do you know the coordinates?"

"Nah. He just said about half a mile from old Hyster's place, west."

Qui-Gon stopped waving his hand. "Thank you." He sprinted back down the stair, nearly plowing Macab over in his haste to get out the door. Macab followed him out into the darkened street. Moonlight bathed them. "Where is Hyster's place?"

Macab's mouth fell open. "Hyster is in on this? Oh, my stars, I am going to-"

"No, he's not!" Qui-Gon cried. "The Red Clan was supposed to take Obi-Wan and Sabé to some ship about half a mile from there in the desert. We have to get there quick!"

Macab started running. "He's on the other side of the damn oasis! It'll take us thirty minutes to get there!" He suddenly skidded to a halt and started running towards the shop. "We'll take the speeders."

"Good idea," Qui-Gon commended. 

"I am smart," Macab replied and opened the door. They charged in and ran to the back. Macab whipped his key out and unlocked two of the speeders. He rolled his out of the courtyard gate and spun around as Qui-Gon's struck the frame. "Hey, watch it! We gotta sell these blasted things!"

They straddled the cruisers and took off. Qui-Gon's face was smacked again and again by Macab's trail dust. His eyes stung, and he had to move from his spot directly behind the man. When they reached Hyster's place, he slowed his speeder down and wiped at his eyes. "We're going west."

"Gotcha," Macab replied, starting off fast again. Qui-Gon pressed his foot and followed, his eyes stinging. Macab's speeder was a silver flash against dark night. He looked over Macab and saw nothing. Just darkness. How Macab was navigating without a light was beyond him. The moon provided some cover, but not enough to possibly follow any sort of trail. 

"I think I see him!" the dealer suddenly yelled. He added more speed, zipping ahead to a spot only he saw. Qui-Gon reached into the Force and felt it: Obi-Wan's clear and prominent Force signature. He smiled in relief, speeding up. Questions laced his mind, but first thing to do was check on Obi-Wan to make sure he was all right. And there was still Sabé to take into consideration.

"We're here!" Sabé called. 

__________

"Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded as the hooded figure stepped into the room. He appeared to be about normal height with a muscular build, dressed all in black. Obi-Wan couldn't see under his hood, which was pulled down very, very low on his face. 

The figure leaned against one of the walls. "It is no concern of yours who I am, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Name doesn't mean anything, does it?"

Obi-Wan was furious. "Okay, look, I'm not in the mood for any of this preaching. What do you want?"

The figure laughed. "How very impatient." Without warning he reached out and kicked Obi-Wan with his boot. Obi-Wan groaned. "Ah, so at least you feel pain. That's good."

Obi-Wan was silent as he let his rage boil over. He would give the figure nothing. He knew enough that anything he said could be used against him to play games with his mind if that was what they were intending to do. Seething, he just gazed at the figure, his eyes clouding in fury.

"They say you didn't put up much of a fight," the figure said. "I would have expected more, really." When Obi-Wan didn't reply he continued. "I see you're not going to talk, so why don't we get this over with?"

When the figure removed his hood, Obi-Wan flinched. The man's face was tattooed red and black, his eyes large and yellow. Three horns spurted from his forehead, and Obi-Wan blinked, certain it was all an illusion. When he stopped and the horns were still there, fear stalked up his spine and he shook his head rapidly. What was his life coming to? First Qui-Gon and now this! What-

His thought was cut off by the figure bending down to him, something in his hands. Before Obi-Wan knew what was happening, the being had struck him in the head and had kicked him in his ribs. Groaning, Obi-Wan buckled in his restraints, struggling to break them. 

"Don't bother, Kenobi," the being growled. "It's no use." 

With that the being stuck a needle into Obi-Wan exposed arm and he blacked out. 

__________

When they pulled up, Qui-Gon saw that Obi-Wan was sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. The white bandage wrapped around his arm was like a neon in the pale moonlight. Cutting the engine, Qui-Gon leapt off the speeder and immediately bent down to Obi-Wan, although Macab beat him to it. 

"What happened?" he asked Sabé, who was standing a few feet away. Her face was etched with fear and she held her arms around her chest tightly. Her eyes were wild as she looked for his face in the darkness.

"He was walking me home," she said in a hurry. "Someone attacked us. They knocked Obi-Wan out and they blindfolded me and taped my mouth shut. I… I don't know where we were. They took me somewhere and left me there. They never undid the blindfold. After…" She stopped. Regained her composure. Continued. "After a while they came for me again. They were all men, I think. They took me out of the cell and brought me out here and dumped me in the sand. I felt it in my hair. 

"Then they brought Obi-Wan. They practically threw him on top of me. He was unconscious and bleeding. I was able to get the rope off. They didn't tie it too tightly and I undid his rope. I… I was too late. They were all ready gone. I felt the heat when they took off. They were all men."

Her voice wavered and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Is he all right?" she muttered through the fingers.

Macab was administering CPR to Obi-Wan even though he was breathing quite fine. Qui-Gon put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to quiet his fears. Macab knocked his hand away.

Obi-Wan began to cough. Macab responded by slamming his fist into the man's chest rapidly, encouraging him to breathe. The man's eyes flew open, and wildly they found Macab's. Still, Macab kept pounding. Obi-Wan choked and rolled away, yelping when his arm struck the ground. He lay on his back at Qui-Gon's feet and groaned. 

"He's breathing!" Macab shouted in relief. 

"He's been breathing!" Sabé snapped, smiling in relief. 

Qui-Gon checked Obi-Wan's pulse. It was weaker than he would have liked, but it was strong enough. Obi-Wan fluttered his eyelids and seemed to see Qui-Gon for the first time. He rolled away, leaping to his feet. Immediately he quavered and leaned heavily against Macab. 

"What happened?" Qui-Gon asked, concerned. "Are you all right?" 

Macab slung Obi-Wan's arm around his neck. "He's hurt."

"No," Obi-Wan protested, weakly trying to get away from Macab. "I'm fine."

Qui-Gon frowned at the strain in Obi-Wan's face. Even though it was relatively cool on Candalas at night, sweat beaded on his forehead and lower lips. A slight flush was apparent in his cheeks. He probed the Force and found something that had eluded him before: Obi-Wan's Force signature was terribly and impeccably sick. He suspected the man also had a fever. 

"What happened?" he repeated. 

Obi-Wan's eyes drifted shut and he spoke, his voice a whisper. "I…I don't know. Don't… remember… Something…"  
  


With that he collapsed against Macab, his legs tucking underneath him. Macab caught him under the arms, his face panicked. Qui-Gon moved quickly and helped Macab lay him gently on the ground. Bending on one knee besides the fallen man, he instructed Macab to bring over a speeder. Qui-Gon removed his cloak and wrapped it around the younger man, his hand gentle as he did so. 

Sabé stood at a distance, watching, her mouth frozen in a straight line. She hiccupped. 

When the speeder was brought, Qui-Gon picked Obi-Wan up gently, almost tenderly. It was the least he could do. Obi-Wan immediately curled up to him, shivering. Setting Obi-Wan's over the end of the speeder, he laid a hand on his forehead and then took it back in distaste. He was burning up!

"We have to get him medical attention," Qui-Gon barked. "Where is the nearest medic?"

Macab's eyes flashed in the darkness. "We don't have one. The nearest one is in the next town!" 

Sabé jumped in. "Rabé is a healer in training, Master Jedi. She can help him." 

"Good," Qui-Gon snapped, slinging himself over the speeder. "Ride with Macab. Quickly! Follow me." 

He slammed the engine and rode into the darkness. 

__________________________________________________


	8. Chapter Seven

My gratitude to the reviewers is undaunted. Thank you very much for the kind words. They are music to my eyes. 

__________________________________________________

Chapter Seven 

_I can see inside you_

_The sickness is rising_

_Don't try to deny what you feel_

_It seems that all that was good has died_

_And is decaying in me_

_-Down With the Sickness, Disturbed _

  
  


"We did not anticipate the Jedi, Master."

"A failure on your part."

"Yes, my Master."

"He'll be trouble."

"Should I dispose of him?"

A pause. "No. We must not alert the Jedi Order of this. Let him on."

"He may cause problems with the injection, Master."

"I know that. Embrace the Dark Side, young apprentice. It will work."

"Yes, my Master."

__________

_The darkness was total. _

_Obi-Wan groaned, his voice soft and weak. His throat felt sore and groggy, jaded almost. He knew his eyes were open, but it was as if they were closed. He blinked, waiting to see if the blackness in front of him would disappear. When it didn't he groaned again, and it was as if a bomb had exploded in his throat. He wanted to gag right there and then, but the thought of doing so only added massive pain to his all ready pounding headache. _

_He tried to move, but pain assailed his body. His mouth felt so dry. He clenched his hand, but pain shot through his fingers. Oh, he wanted to move. He wanted to do something more than just be some lifeless body. Where was he?_

_Coldness ran up and down his body. He shivered and stupidly tried to curl into himself, but the pain intensified and he cried out. How could he be so cold? He was in the middle of the desert! It was never cold, not even in winter. He couldn't even remember the last time he was so cold, or even a bit cold. Where was he? The shop? The hut? Not even in the shop was the darkness so total. _

_Oh, Force, what had happened? Why couldn't he see the light? Qui-Gon Jinn. Macab. Sabé. Where were they? Had they left him in the desert? Why would they do that? Macab cared about him!  
  
_

_"No one cares about you, Obi-Wan Kenobi," a grievous voice said, echoing. _

_He jerked, and the pain soared. He let out a cry. _

_"I care about the pain," the voice said. With a small click it vanished. He moved his hands, feet. It didn't hurt. The pain which had been so dominate was now gone, something of the past. His eyes widened, and he tried his voice out. Slight pain hit him, but it was barely an echo of what it had been. His eyes widened even more. Who was this voice? How could he banish the pain so freely and without care? _

_"But I do care, Obi-Wan," the voice responded, reading his thoughts. "I care about your pains and what has been done to you. I care about your fears. No one else does, Obi-Wan. You friend, Macab? He left you in the desert. I took you. I helped the pain leave." _

_"But how?"_ Obi-Wan protested. "Macab's my friend." __

_"What are friends, anyway, Obi-Wan? Are you sure you were his?"_

_"I… you're trying to confuse me. What do you want?" _

_"I want to help you, Obi-Wan," the voice went on, his voice a soft caress. "I want to help you." _

_"Why? You don't know me and I don't know you! What game at are you playing with me?"_

_"Oh, so violent._ I like violence, don't you?" __

_Obi-Wan kept his mouth shut. He wanted the voice to talk. If he was silent, maybe…_

_"No one's here to help you, Obi-Wan," the voice said. "I took away the pain. I took it away without question and with no price. How many people do you know who can do that so effortlessly? How many people do you know who can so easily take from you what you don't want? The Jedi? He rejected you and doesn't even like you. Macab? He has no concept of friendship and thinks only of money."_

_Obi-Wan wanted to lash out at the words about Macab. He knew they weren't true. Macab was his friend, his sworn and loyal ally through thick and thin. He was dry, sarcastic Macab and Obi-Wan liked that. He was a lot of things, but above everything, Macab was loyal and true. Obi-Wan couldn't ask for anything more of his business partner. _

_"But he left you in the desert with the girl, Obi-Wan. He left you there to rot. The girl got you help. She's the only one who can even be considered a friend. She likes you. She wants to help you. Macab just wants your money, the Jedi could care less!"  
  
_

_The former Jedi closed his eyes, as if in pain. How could this voice lie so carelessly about Macab? And the girl?_

_"Her name is Sabé Maberrie. She's very beautiful, isn't she? She likes you, Obi-Wan. She wants to help. She knows Macab and Qui-Gon don't care, no matter what they do. They want to leave you, injured. They just don't think you're good enough, Obi-Wan. Macab hates you."_

_"He doesn't!" Obi-Wan suddenly yelled. "Who are you?"_

_"I am the Dark Side, Obi-Wan," the voice said. "I can help you leave them. Sabé can help you. Go to her, Obi-Wan."_

_The Dark Side! _

_"NO!" Obi-Wan screamed. _

_Quiet. _

_Then, ringing in his ears._

_Quiet._

_Ringing._ Getting louder. __

_Quiet._

_Not ringing. Voices. Soft, ever presence voice. Growing louder with every hit. _

_Quiet._

_It continued until the voices were blaring in his ears. He tried to shut it out; put his hands over his ears. The sound permeated every inch of all he knew. He was swimming in the sound, drowning. He couldn't breathe. The voice grilled through his ears and to his brain, laughing at him and hurting him beyond all imaginable doubt. He wanted to kill himself, anything to stop the voice. _

_"Stop fighting," the voice whispered. _

_After that, he could no longer strain against it. _

_He lay still, listening. _

__________

By the time they got to the ship, Obi-Wan was shaking violently, groaning and mumbling. Qui-Gon was scared, his heart constricting. Scooping Obi-Wan up quickly, he ran towards the all ready extended ramp. He had called on the way over to inform Panaka they had an injured being. He was waiting by the ramp.

"Master Jedi?" Panaka said as Qui-Gon sprinted up the ramp. "Who is that?"

"He needs medical attention, fast!" Qui-Gon ordered. "Where is Rabé?"

"In the Senator's chambers, Master Jedi," he responded. "You didn't say-"

"I'll get her," Sabé butted in, running for the door. 

Qui-Gon laid Obi-Wan gently down on a sleep-cushion, Macab helping him. Obi-Wan had gone into wild spasms, his teeth clattering against each other. His cheeks were a bright pink, and his eyes opened and closed without ceremony. When they did open, however, they were misty blue and wild, feverish. Qui-Gon wanted to help Obi-Wan through the Force, but in doing so, he may injure Obi-Wan more than help him. Without training, Obi-Wan's mind would be open, exposed, and more ready to pain.

"Get some water," he instructed Panaka. "And a small towel." When the Captain didn't move, he turned to give him a sharp eye. "Please, Captain." With a wistful sigh, the captain left, though not very willingly. 

Sabé came into the room, Rabé in tow. The Senator was not far behind. "What is this?" she demanded. "What's going on?"

"Ma'am, please," Qui-Gon said to Rabé, motioning to Obi-Wan. "He's sick."

Rabé nodded, setting her satchel on the floor besides Obi-Wan's head. Qui-Gon moved away, allowing to her room. Macab stood on the other side of the couch, watching, his eyes alert and blank. 

"What is going on?" Maberrie repeated.

Mindful of Macab and that fact he did not know of Sabé, a reluctant Qui-Gon led her into the hall. There, he explained hastily what had gone on. When he spoke of the kidnapping, her lower lip quivered and she turned white. Sabé was standing in the living area watching Rabé, but Maberrie ran from the hallway, tackled her in a hug, and began to sob.

"Sabé, Sabé," she moaned. "I'm so sorry, child, so sorry. My daughter, oh, I'm so sorry. Sabé, Sabé."

Qui-Gon stared, stunned. Sabé was Maberrie's _daughter? _It seemed beyond grasping. It was unthinkable for Maberrie to sacrifice her handmaiden to get off the planet, but her own _daughter? It was beyond Qui-Gon's reach. How could she, as a mother, ask her daughter to seduce a man to only help them leave a planet? He just couldn't comprehend the ruthlessness of it. _

Sabé was stunned at first, but then a smile spread on her face and she held her mother. "Mother, it's all right."

A feeling of unease in his stomach, Qui-Gon moved to Obi-Wan's side, watching Rabé as she dipped a towel in the water Panaka had brought. She ran it along his forehead gently, wiping the sweat, and then laying it on his forehead. She took his pulse, her eyes locked on her chrono.

"He has a temperature of 102," Macab said, his voice just above a whisper. "He's sick."

Sabé frowned at Qui-Gon. "Master Jedi, the only thing I can tell you is that he is really, very sick. It looks like a case of the flu, or something of the sort. The only signs I can detect is he's very cold and is burning up, which are the signs of the common cold. If it's the flu, there's nothing I can really do for him, except keep him warm and put some liquids into him through an IV."

Qui-Gon ran a hand through Obi-Wan's damp hair. "Let's do that," he told her. "Please."

She nodded and took an IV needle from the satchel. "The fluids are in the storage room," she told Qui-Gon. "I'll be right back." She pointed to Obi-Wan. "Keep him warm." 

Macab took off his coat and laid it over Obi-Wan's shivering body. His pained eyes drove through Qui-Gon's soul. "Jedi, what happened? Who did this?" 

Qui-Gon sighed. He could not answer the question, and he didn't know if he wanted to. Things had just gotten more complicated. Obi-Wan Kenobi was not supposed to be on the mission. His mission had been to escort the Senator home. Nothing more and nothing less. What he had gotten was a lap full of problem, the greatest being Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had thought he would lay eyes on the child again. It wasn't meant to be. 

How could this have happened? 

Rabé returned with the IV bag. "I need something to hang this up on."

"I'll hold it," Macab offered. "I'll stay here and hold it."

She handed him the bag and inserted the tube in it. She took the needle end and poked it into the crook of Obi-Wan's arm. Holding it in place, she reached into the bag and ripped a piece of tape. She taped the needle down, then stood away. "You have to hold it there," she told Macab. "Don't move it a lot. If you have to move, have someone bring something you can hang it onto." Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she checked the tape again. "What's that?"  
  


She was pointing to the bandage on Obi-Wan's upper arm.

"He was bleeding," Macab said, his eyes suddenly in silts. 

Carefully, Rabé unwrapped the bandage. She drew back in surprise. "Someone injected him." 

For a long moment no one did anything. Macab's face went from shock to anger to shock to anger. Qui-Gon feared what he would do, and his own doubts battled at his mind. What did it mean? Someone had hurt Obi-Wan with the injection, but was the injection the cause of his condition? How could he go from healthy and alive to shaking and sick in only a few hours? He had seen Obi-Wan well just that morning!

"The girl," Macab said suddenly, his voice deep and husky. "The girl knows."

Rabé stared at Macab, unbelieving. "Sabé knows nothing of what happens, sir. I know Sabé." 

"She knows," Macab answered, shoving the IV bag into Rabé's hands. His eyes locked on where Maberrie was still embracing Sabé in a corner of the room. 

Qui-Gon brushed past Rabé and grabbed Macab by the arm. Whipping him back, he threw Macab into a large plush chair. Sabé, her mother's arms around her, had seen him. Prying herself from Maberrie's arms, she ducked around her and came to Qui-Gon's side. "What?" 

His fingers clenched, Macab tried to get up from the chair, but Qui-Gon put a hand on his shoulder and shoved him down. Panaka, seeing what was taking place, ran over and stood behind Macab's chair, his hands tying Macab to it. 

"You're all in on this!" Macab said. "First the girl comes, saying she hates you all and doesn't care what happens, wanting a job. After that, she leaves in the middle of the night and goes to the shop, maybe because she can't sleep, but maybe because she needs Obi-Wan. Now, Obi-Wan's a good guy, of course he was going to walk her back. She probably knocked him out and then got some of the Red Clan to help her!" 

"How dare you accuse her of such a thing!" Maberrie cried. "How dare you! You honestly think Sabé would do this? And what does she have to gain of this?"

"Okay, first off, _lady_," Macab said, his voice blind with anger. "I don't care what planet you're from anymore. You ain't getting these repairs off of me. Secondly, the girl comes in and says she wants a job because she hates you and the Jedi and you're nothing but worthless idiots. After that, though, when the Jedi comes to get me, he's _worried about her. You're _worried _about her. Something doesn't add up here, __lady."_

Maberrie answered in stride, her arm wrapping around Sabé's waist protectively. "Well, okay then, you might as well now." Before Qui-Gon could stop her, she charged ahead. "We sent Sabé in there to convince you two to give us the parts for the price we wanted. She was going to- to be frank because I am not in the mood to deal with you – seduce your friend over there and get him to give us the parts that you wanted to give us in the first place." 

At that, Macab's mouth fell open. 

"Isn't it clever?" Maberrie said wickedly, her voice on edge. 

Macab's tone was flat. "Yes. Very. But now it won't work. I'm not giving you the parts. No price would make me give them to you. When Obi-Wan wakes up, I'm taking him back."

Qui-Gon stepped in before Maberrie could say a word. "Macab, please. You have to give us the parts now. Obi-Wan is desperately sick. The medicine on Naboo could help him. We don't know what happened to him. You can't help him here.  The medics on Naboo can."

Macab's face wavered. 

"And we'll take you!" Sabé said. "And whatever you want to take, we have room!" 

Maberrie's eyes flashed. "Sabé-"

"Mother," Sabé said. 

The Senator turned to Qui-Gon. "If we take them with us, whatever wants them may come after us."

"Whatever wants them may be after Sabé and you, Senator," Qui-Gon rebuked. 

She gave a small, weak laugh. "Master Jedi, whatever it is didn't even look at Sabé. It wanted Obi-Wan." 

The Jedi had to keep himself from rolling his eyes in frustration. "Senator, we need the parts and we have to get off of Candalas. If we take Macab and Obi-Wan, we'll get off and be on our way to Naboo. That's the most important thing to do here." 

Maberrie closed her eyes, thinking. When she opened them again, she nodded and turned to Macab. "If you came with us, we'd be most honored."

Macab glanced over at his friend, who was shivering, and his heart ached. He had to get Obi-Wan help, but his heart cried out at him. He didn't trust any of them, least of all the Senator. Would they really help Obi-Wan? If he drove all night he could get to the next city by the next day's sunset, but even then he might not be able to afford the medic. 

That made the decision for him. "Okay. We'll go." 

__________

"We're taking them to Naboo."

"That wasn't in the plan."

"But, sir, I thought it would easier since-."

"Do not assume!" 

Silence.

"I am sorry, dear." The voice was soothing. "This just complicates things."

"I truly am sorry, sir. I didn't know." 

"Well, you'll have to learn to follow instructions."

The voice quavered. "Yes, sir." 

"I'll contact you." 

"Yes, sir." 

__________

"Is the engine installed?" Qui-Gon asked Panaka as he came down the ramp. In the distance he saw the beginnings of daylight creeping over the sand dunes. It had been a terribly long night, beginning with and not ending with Obi-Wan. Macab had driven back to the shop along with some guards and they had hauled the parts to the ship. Macab was the only experienced mechanic besides the droids, and the process to install everything was tedious. 

"We're almost done," Panaka said, sweat drilling down his face. He looked down towards the end of the ship, where Macab's voice barked out orders. He sighed and looked at Qui-Gon with guilty eyes. "This is my fault. Our mechanic was in an accident on Coruscant. The Senator wanted to wait until he was better or we found a mechanic, but it was impeccable to get her home. Naboo needs her desperately, so I encouraged her to leave. I didn't think there would be any trouble or that the West People would be so quick to attack us." 

"That is strange," Qui-Gon murmured. 

Before he could muse anymore, Panaka blurted, "Do you find it strange that the West People haven't followed us here and attacked us while we are stranded?" 

Qui-Gon looked up at Panaka and raised an eyebrow. "My question exactly, Captain." 

Panaka's eyes trailed up the ramp. His voice was soft. "What if the West People didn't attack us?" 

The Jedi Master's eyes were clear. "I've been trying to figure that out. Are we sure it was the West People who attacked us?"

He looked guilty again. "Master Jedi, I did not see the ship."

Qui-Gon had been looking towards the end of the ship, but with the words he snapped his head around. "You didn't see the ship?"

Panaka looked troubled. "I saw no ship. I just assumed-"  
  


"What if, then," Qui-Gon interrupted, "we didn't get attacked by a ship? What if someone planet a bomb before we left Coruscant?" 

Panaka looked doubtful. "We kept the ship well guarded." 

Qui-Gon stared at him. "Then the only other possibility is that someone on board planted a bomb in the hull where it would do the most damage so we'd be forced to land somewhere." He rubbed his forehead. "Whoever did it, then, would have wanted us to land here, for some reason."

Panaka's eyes sparked into anger. "If you're suggesting that someone is a traitor in some way, I doubt it. We handpicked these individuals for this trip. The handmaidens are loyal, believe me. Rabé is a healer, which is why we chose her. Eirtaé is top notch in weaponry." His face dropped to a whisper. "Saché is the Senator's decoy, Master Jedi. Whenever Saché is posing as the Senator, she is wearing make-up. Now, you understand this is on a must-know basis. She is very young, but you must remember how easily she fits into the Senator's role."  

Qui-Gon wanted to kick himself. Of course! Of course she would have a decoy. It was only right. 

"The guards-." Panaka started, but Qui-Gon interrupted him. 

"What about Sabé?" 

"No," Panaka said sharply. "Sabé is not the one you are looking for, understand?" 

Qui-Gon was getting irked. "No, I do not understand, Captain. Why was Sabé chosen?" 

"Sabé is the Senator's daughter, Master Jedi. The Senator wanted her daughter to accompany her and there was no reason not to allow it and so we didn't. There just isn't anyway Sabé could plant a bomb. She has absolutely no reason. Her mother loves her. Her father is an ambassador to the moons of Naboo. She wouldn't do a thing like that. It's not in her character." 

"She was talking to me when the explosion occurred," Qui-Gon said, thinking aloud. "I was meditating and didn't see her come out."

"Master Jedi, with all due respect-"

"I realize it is my error I wasn't alert. Something occurred during the meditation that required my attention. In the time I was meditating, however, it was perfect for someone to leave the Senator's room to plant a bomb in the hull. She had plenty of time and was watching me when I finished." 

Panaka was about to reply when one of the guards shouted, "Captain! Done!" 

He glanced at Qui-Gon. "We're not done here," he said. He walked towards the hull. 

His mind still on their conversation, he wandered up the ramp to check on Obi-Wan. 

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	9. Chapter Eight

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Chapter Eight

_What we lost here is something better left alone_

_- Shame, Matchbox Twenty _

Obi-Wan awoke to lights. 

He heard the voices, but the thing that dominated his mind was the lights. He blinked rapidly, his head hurting at the sudden and hard movement. Above him he saw shapes, but the light was so bright all he could make out were the fuzzy lines and movements. The voices confused him further more, and for a moment he just stared dumbly at the lights, then snapped his eyes shut. 

The voices began to make sense. He heard words and snatches of conversation, but the meanings were lost to him, then a single voice rang through his mind. 

"Obi-Wan!" 

With that he opened his eyes, and after a moment the girl's face came into his view. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mouth and tongue protested at the terrible sensation that spread throughout him. In disgust, he closed his mouth, and the pain which had flared subdued. 

He felt a large hand on his forehead, caressing him. Immediately he pushed his head into the hand, struggling to find some sense of comfort or security. A voice followed the hand, and he loved the warmth in it. "Obi-Wan, you can't talk right now. You have to rest. Don't try to move." 

Obi-Wan drowned in the comfort of the hand and the voice, and when the hand lifted off his head, he groaned, his mouth bubbling with pain. He pushed his head into the softness beneath him, and for a while he drifted on the comfort, lost in the waves. 

Soon, though, his mind began to explode with questions. His voice a throaty scratch, he rasped out, "What?" 

A softer, gentler voice took the place of the large and warm one. "Hush, Obi-Wan, please. You can't speak. I'll get some water."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself onto his elbow and sat up. Macab was sitting on a stool besides his naval area. When he saw Obi-Wan sit up, he leapt from the stool and called out, "Qui-Gon?" He then turned and looked down at Obi-Wan. "You're awake." 

His voice scratchy, Obi-Wan replied, "Tired." _  
  
_

Sabé returned with the water and handed it to Macab. He looked uncertain, then broke into a smile at Obi-Wan. "I guess I'm your nursemaid, huh?" 

Obi-Wan was leaning heavily against the armrest of the couch, too weak to do much else. He merely nodded at Macab's dry joke and leaned his head on his shoulder. He looked at Macab through half-closed eyes, his sickness catching up with him. He wanted to say something, but the words died on his lips. 

"Tired?" Macab asked, setting the cup down as Qui-Gon came into the room from the Senator's. 

He smiled in relief when he saw Obi-Wan awake. His figure loomed above the younger man, and Obi-Wan looked up at him meekly. "It's good to see you awake, Obi-Wan." The man just nodded, and he glanced at Sabé. "Has his fever broken?" 

She shook her head.

Obi-Wan suddenly pitched forward, falling towards the ground. Qui-Gon caught him, grasping him around the stomach. He was unconscious again. Through the fabric of his tunic, Qui-Gon could feel his skin burning. Gently, he eased Obi-Wan back onto the couch, Macab helping with the pillow. When he began to shake again, Sabé fetched more blankets and laid them upon him. 

"We'll reach Naboo in a few hours," Qui-Gon told them. "The Senator has contacted a medic and will see him as soon as we land." He glanced at Sabé. "The Senator wishes to speak with you, Sabé." Once the girl was gone, he pulled a chair over to sit by Obi-Wan. 

They had been traveling for two days and Macab had not slept a minute of it. He refused to leave Obi-Wan's side, sitting on the stool and staring straight ahead, his eyes blank. Although he didn't eat, Macab has brought with him his own liquor stash and mixed it with the muja juice that was on board. Panaka was keeping an eye on him, just in case he went overboard, although he had been well contained the last two days. 

"What happened?" Macab asked. 

Qui-Gon didn't look at him. "What?" 

Macab took a long sip of his drink. "What did you do to him?"

The Jedi closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He thought about not telling Macab, but then the man would not leave him alone. It was best to get it over and done with, and it wasn't as if he had done anything to Obi-Wan to actually _hurt _him.

Guilt hit his heart, and he shook it off. 

"Tell me how you met him first." 

After a pause, Macab answered. "I was born on Candalas in another city. I lived there my entire life. I've only lived in Negdraw for about eight years. To make a long story short, when Obi-Wan came to Negdraw he wanted the building I had bought. He had the idea of a parts shop, and when I refused he let me in on the deal. That's all I know. We've had the shop for about six years now. He was thirteen when he came." He gave Obi-Wan an affectionate look. "He was just a little kid." 

Macab let Qui-Gon sit in silence for a few moments before he said, "Now tell me what you did to him, Jedi." 

Running a hand through his hair, Qui-Gon shifted in the chair to face Macab. His eyes were clouded. "Obi-Wan used to be a Jedi." Macab flinched, but said nothing. "Jedi initiates have to be taken as apprentices before the age of thirteen. Obi-Wan was not chosen and sent to the planet Bandomeer so he could his gifts and help the Agri-Corps. Soon afterwards, the Jedi Master overseeing him reported that he had run away. No one knew where he went, although we sent a team to check it out. Jedi don't abandon their own." 

Putting his face in hands, Macab asked, "So what did you do?" 

Qui-Gon wanted to lie and say he had done nothing wrong, because in reality he hadn't, but the words died on his lips. No matter how much he tried to deny it, there was no getting around the fact that he had broken the dream of a thirteen-year-old boy. As a Jedi, he had done nothing wrong. It wasn't unusual for Master to go through life without an apprentice, he more so after his first apprentice. As a human being with a heart, however, he had done wrong. 

"A few weeks before Obi-Wan thirteenth birthday, he got into a fight with another initiate. I'm not sure what the circumstances were, but he was sent to the Agri-Corps early. By a pure act of luck, I was given an assignment which also took me to Bandomeer. Things got… complicated. Obi-Wan played a large role in helping me complete my assignment." 

Macab waited for him to continued, but he did not. "He wanted to be your apprentice. You turned him down." 

Qui-Gon nodded tightly. 

"After all he did you turned him down?" 

"It's not that simple, Macab. Jedi-"

"Now I know what he meant," Macab said. "That's why he said what he did." 

Qui-Gon didn't ask. He didn't want to know. 

They sat in silence. Qui-Gon noticed how Macab kept clenching and unclenching his fists. He remembered what Macab had said back the Red Clan building about how he had hurt Obi-Wan before. Apparently Obi-Wan hadn't told his friend the whole matter, only what he wanted him to know. 

For a long time, neither of them did anything, then Sabé came back into the room. "Master Jedi, Senator Maberrie wishes to have a word with you. Please." She led him to the room and then followed him inside. The Senator was standing in the center of the room, her arms crossed. Panaka stood behind her, his hands behind his back. He looked… guilty. 

"Master Jedi," the Senator said, "Captain Panaka informs me you think there is a traitor among us." 

Qui-Gon wanted to smack Panaka over the head, but he nodded. "I have my reasons, Senator." 

"Then enlighten me." 

"When the ship was attacked, Captain Panaka did not see a ship. Also, if the West People did attack the ship to kill you, then why haven't they followed us? We were defenseless on Candalas. It was the perfect time. If it wasn't a ship, then someone planted a bomb before the ship left Coruscant. Captain Panaka assured me the ship was kept under close guard. Taking out that possibility and the attack because the Captain did not see a ship, the only other possibility I see is that someone here planted the bomb after we left." 

"And?" He was silence, so, her voice savage, she asked, "Who do you suspect?" 

At that point Qui-Gon almost lost his cool. Too many things were piled on his plate: Obi-Wan, the Senator…

A Jedi was not supposed to worry and he was. 

"Senator, I don't suspect anyone. If the Captain told you that I was questioning him about Sabé, it was in the interest of ruling her out as a suspect. I questioned him about the other handmaidens as well, and I was about to question him about the guards but we were interrupted that day." 

"And you never went to question him again?" 

Qui-Gon wiggled a little. "It never came up. Senator, it seems to me that you think I'm _trying _to plant the blame on your daughter." 

The Senator seemed miffed. "Master Jinn, I appreciate the concern, but I will not have you questioning my people. In doing that you question me and the people of Naboo. I chose my handmaidens, and the people of Naboo elected Captain Panaka and the guards."

Qui-Gon chose not the respond. 

"Master Jedi, please. It is not in your mandate to investigate. Once we reach Naboo you can investigate all you wish. For now, I request you do not question my guards or the handmaidens, most of all Sabé. Please. Just watch over us and nothing more." 

Qui-Gon wanted to protest, but he knew it would be of no use. He bowed to her. "I understand, Senator." 

Smarting, he left the room to find Obi-Wan sitting up, his mouth hanging open. Macab was sitting by him, holding him up. Qui-Gon went over and sat down. "Obi-Wan?" 

Macab broke into a smile. "His fever has gone done, Qui-Gon!" 

Gratefully, Qui-Gon reached out touched Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Can you hear me, Obi-Wan?" When the man didn't respond, he shot Macab a concerned look. 

"I don't know." Macab pushed the hair out of Obi-Wan's eyes, and wiped a towel across his brow. The tenderness in his touches amused Qui-Gon. He couldn't understand how Macab could be so callous at some times, yet so gentle and kind at others. "He was mumbling while you were gone, and then he suddenly woke up. He's still hot, but not in the danger zone, or whatever that girl called it." 

Smiling in wary relief, Qui-Gon leaned farther back in his chair. He watched Macab lay Obi-Wan down, then jumped when Obi-Wan shot up, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. He blinked rapidly at Qui-Gon, and then at Macab. He leapt to his feet, swaying slightly as he stood. Qui-Gon and Macab immediately stood and they each grasped one of his arms. Obi-Wan looked around wildly. 

"Where are we?" he asked, his voice hitched. 

Qui-Gon took his hand away, but Macab still kept his hand tightly latched on his friend's flesh. Sending the dealer warning look, Qui-Gon said calmly, "We're on a ship to Naboo, Obi-Wan. You're sick and the medicine on Candalas wouldn't have helped you. What-"

"Naboo?" Obi-Wan shrieked. He tore his arm away from Macab as if his hands were fire. He tottered a bit, but grabbed the arm of the sleep-couch and leaned upon it heavily. "Naboo, Macab?" He stared at the spot where Macab had touched him as thought it were on fire. He looked at his friend, his look of disgust twisted and framed with his pale color. "Why?"

"What happened in the ship?" Macab blurted. "What did he do to you?" 

Qui-Gon didn't want to get Obi-Wan too rallied up when he had been so sick. Throwing Macab a look full of contempt, he tried maneuvering behind Obi-Wan to grab his arm, but the man turned around so fast he almost fell over. The Jedi moved to help, but the look in Obi-Wan's eyes halted him in his tracks, and he wisely withdrew. Satisfied, the former Jedi turned back to Macab.

"No, Macab, _no,_" Obi-Wan continued. His voice had dropped to a whisper as he swayed dangerously on his feet. Qui-Gon shot Macab a warning glare. "I can't go to Naboo… not with him…"

"You're sick, Obi-Wan," his friend said softly. "We need to get you help. You don't know what you're saying, you idiot." 

"The shop?" he asked. 

"It's fine," Macab said with a wave of his hand. He reached for Obi-Wan's arm to lead him to the couch, but he darted away. Resigned, Macab looked to the Jedi for help. 

"We'll explain later, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "You need to rest." 

"I'm fine!" Obi-Wan protested, his hand clamped tightly to the wall he had leapt to in his flight from Macab. "I swear I am! I don't feel bad!" 

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon motioned towards the bed. "I don't want to force you to lie in it." 

Obi-Wan raised his head high at the words and his back stiffened. "Just try it, Jedi, just try it! I don't know why you're here or what happened, but-"

"You don't remember?" Sabé suddenly yelped from corridor. They all turned to look at her; no one had realized she was watching them. Her face was sheet white. "You… don't… but…"

"Why did we bring her?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice rising. 

"We'll explain later," Qui-Gon said hastily, waving Sabé away. She did not budge. "The important thing for you to do is-"

"I am not resting!" Obi-Wan yelled, although it seemed to take most of his strength for he sagged against the wall the next second, his breath hitching. 

It was then that the Jedi made up his mind. Knowing full well Obi-Wan was too weak to put up much of a struggle, he centered the Force around him and scooped the young man to his chest. Obi-Wan's feeble kicks and punches did not affect Qui-Gon whatsoever as he laid Obi-Wan on the couch. Holding him down was more of a task as he channeled his Force energy into subduing Obi-Wan long enough for Rabé to get a sedative. 

"Get Rabé!" he ordered Macab. He made sure the man had shot into the Senator's room before he let his concentration slip a little. Obi-Wan looked up at him with hurt, fragile eyes. It broke Qui-Gon's heart to see no life in the eyes, and he bent his head close to the former Jedi's. "I am so sorry, Obi-Wan." 

  
It was then that Rabé arrived, and Qui-Gon turned away, listening as Obi-Wan protested against the syringe, but then fell silent. When he saw her leaving out of the corner of his eyes, he turned around. Obi-Wan was staring at him through large, blank eyes. Sabé was stroking his hair tenderly. Macab was watching dully from a chair in the corner. He beckoned Qui-Gon over, his eyes slightly drained.  

"I don't like treating him like that," Macab told Qui-Gon in a light tone. "He's not a demented person, we could have told him. I don't like treating him like a child. He's not…but…"

"But he is?" Qui-Gon asked quietly. 

For a moment, Macab just sat watching Sabé and Obi-Wan. Finally, he broke off his gaze and looked up at Qui-Gon. "They're babies, Jedi. He's still a kid. He's so old, though, you know? He's really old for his age. I can't even remember when I was that age, it was so damn long ago. He's just a baby, though. He's not supposed to be chased by some crazed assassin."

Smiling sadly, Qui-Gon nodded.  

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	10. Chapter One

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Chapter One
    
    _Fight fire with fire_
    
    _Ending is near_
    
    _Fight fire with fire_
    
    _Bursting with fear_
    
    _- Fight Fire With Fire, Metallica _

_Six year later…_

"Your mission should be fairly simple," Mace Windu said. "An important diplomat is returning home tomorrow from the Senate. Her world is on the brink of a civil war. She represents the King in the eyes of the discontented people of her world. She fears they may attempt to assassinate her as she leaves. Your duty, Master Jinn, is to escort her to her world. Once you are there, you are to act as a Guardian of the Peace and try to end the conflict, or at least tone it down. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Windu, I understand," Qui-Gon Jinn said. 

"The senator's name is Abila Maberrie. More information will be sent to you before you leave tomorrow. Her transport leaves at eight in the morning tomorrow. You'll meet her at the docking bay. May the Force be with you."

"And may it be with you also, Masters," Qui-Gon replied, bowing. His robes swirled around his feet as he left the chambers. 

As always, he felt a pang as he entered the turbo lift. _Six years ago… six years ago…_

Sometimes he thought about the boy. The last he heard was that he had disappeared from Bandomeer shortly after Qui-Gon rejected him. It pained him to think of the boy in any danger. He didn't like to focus on the "what ifs" of anything, but with Obi-Wan Kenobi there were miles and miles of possibilities. He could have changed the boy's life, and instead, he had left him on a terrible planet with nothing more than a future that offered nothing but bleakness.

He stared out from the turbo lift as it took him down. Coruscant hadn't changed in six years. Hardly anything had. 

As he exited on his level, another wave of pain rolled through him.

A man's life could change in six years. 

And that counted for better or for worse.

__________

Abila Maberrie was waiting on the docking for him. Her posse, for lack of better word, stood behind her: four handmaidens, three security guards, and two service droids. She was an older woman; her face veiled and heavily made up. When her chief security guard signaled the Jedi had arrived, she stood from her spot on a metal bench and greeted him, shaking his hand warmly.

"I am Senator Abila Maberrie of Naboo," she said.

"I am very pleased to meet you, Senator. I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

She beckoned her chief security forward. "This is Captain Panaka. The King has been kind enough to let me borrow him for a week or so." She smiled at him kindly. "He's been most kind. I guess we should get to the transport. It's dangerous out in the open, I suppose." 

"You're completely correct, Senator," Qui-Gon said. He nodded at Panaka. "You head ahead. I'll cover your flank."

"Thank you, Master Jinn," the senator said, waving her handmaidens forward. The covered the senator and they walked towards the transport on the deserted platform. He had been informed earlier they shut down the bay for this sort of thing. It was too much of an attention getter in his opinion, but he had to improvise with it. He stepped in front of the droid, getting as close to the Senator as he could with her personnel in front of him. 

Qui-Gon searched the transport thoroughly once inside. He had been on enough missions in the past to know that any object could be a bomb. He checked the engine hold and found nothing. He searched through the Force for any hint of danger, and none greeted him. Above everything else, Qui-Gon trusted his instincts. His instincts told him nothing was amiss, and he reported that to Panaka, who nodded.

The Senator retired to her room, claiming tiredness. Qui-Gon couldn't care less what she did, as long as she was safe. Still alert for danger, he placed himself in the reception room of the transport. It was near the entrance as well as the queen's chambers. He settled into a meditative trance, keeping his mind alert to sight through the Force.

In his trance, Qui-Gon concentrated on the mission at hand. He focused on the danger the Senator faced, searching for any hint the Senator could be harmed. Some Jedi were prone to visions of the future, but Qui-Gon wasn't one of them. He had taken that fact and had channeled that possible energy into meditation for future events. Often, if he was in a deep enough trance and had an idea what he was looking for, he could catch a glimpse of something. 

Today, though, something happened. The moment Qui-Gon set his mind into meditation, his thoughts on the Senator, something seemed to rip through time and grab his attention, pulling his mind to a Force presence. When he had tried to confront his confusion, the force holding him to the presence jerked him hard, and he listened.

The presence was slightly familiar, tickling his senses. He knew the signature, but he couldn't place it. He listened to the Force. It told warned him of danger, and he tensed. The moment he did so the presence began to fade, and he stopped. He listened as it told him the danger was not directed at the Senator, instead to someone else. That puzzled him, and he voiced it to the Force. This time he was given an answer: he knew the person.

Qui-Gon's head began to pound as the Force revealed to him he would soon be with the person. The person was in grave danger, and it served in Qui-Gon's best interests to help him. Apparently he was a Force-sensitive, which puzzled him all the more. 

The moment he began to wonder the connection to the presence was snapped and he was once again in the reception room, his eyes closed, his mind focused on Senator Maberrie's protection. He opened his eyes, his heart pounding. He glanced around the room, half expecting some unseen force to be standing in front of him. 

Instead, all he saw was a young girl in the handmaiden's clothing sitting on a chair and eating muja fruit.

When she saw him look at her, she smiled at him gracefully. She stood and bowed to him deeply. "Hello, Master Jedi."

He nodded at her. "Hello. Is the Senator all right?"

She nodded quickly. "Of course, Master Jedi! We'd have gotten you if something was amiss. I am Sabé, head handmaiden to the Senator. I am very pleased to know you, Master Jedi."

The Jedi smiled at the girl. "I am pleased to know you, Sabé."

"Thank you." The young girl settled back against her seat, but the moment she did so, a bomb seemed to explode under the ship's hull. She plummeted forward, rolling into a wall. Qui-Gon fell but caught himself, all ready reaching to help the handmaiden up. The ship tilted, and he grabbed the chair to steady himself.

The next second the Senator came out of her room. "Sabé! Where is Sabé?" 

Qui-Gon righted himself and helped the girl to her feet. "She is right here, Senator." 

"I am fine, Senator," Sabé said. She straightened her clothes, wincing at the tear in the orange fabric. "Senator, are you all right?"

"Fine, Sabé," the Senator said absentmindedly, now assured her handmaiden wasn't hurt. "What happened? Master Jedi? Where is Captain Panaka?"

As if on cue, the Captain came barrerling into the hall, which was becoming crowded with handmaidens, a senator, and the Jedi. "Senator, Master Jedi," he said breathlessly. "We believe someone is attacking the ship. There is a hole in the hull. The pilot is trying to gain control, but we're leaking fuel. If we don't land, we risk an explosion. We have to land soon or the fuel will catch fire if enough of it leaks."

"What?" the Senator gasped.

"If we're leaking as we go into the system, the heat from the atmosphere will engulf the ship," Panaka continued, his voice measured. "We have to land now."

"What is the nearest system?" Qui-Gon asked. "Is there a ship in our orbit?"

"No," Panaka said. "It must have fled as soon as it hit us. It probably thought it hit a killer shot."

"The West People," Senator Maberrie said, her voice tinted with anger. She saw Qui-Gon's look and said, "They are the people who oppose the King's rule.  They have to be behind this!" 

"But the ship left?" Qui-Gon asked. He was ashamed. He had not sensed the danger. Something of that measure had to emit warnings through the Force. Instead, he had been concentrating on the future at the expense of the present. It always amazed him that even the oldest Master could learn new things. His Master, Master Dooku, had tried to show him that but he hadn't listened. 

"Yes," Panaka said. "The nearest planet is one called Candalas."

"I know that planet," Sabé said. They all turned to stare at her, and she nodded eagerly. "I've studied many worlds, Master Jedi. Coming from a planet as far on the Outer Rim as mine, I've always wanted to learn-"

"Miss Sabé?" Panaka asked.

"My apologies," she said. "We're pretty close to the Outer Rim. It's a trading world, but heavy with the black market and other such veil organizations. It should be safe…for the right price." 

"Where do you think it would be safest to land?" Senator Maberrie asked.

Sabé appeared to be calling information from long ago. She frowned. "Probably in one of the more deserted areas. It's a large world. Maybe… Negdraw. Yes, Negdraw! It's pretty far from a city. The Senator would be safe there. If we bring her down far from any place, no one could find her, I'm certain."

"Sabé's correct," Maberrie said. "Take her down, Captain."

"I'll check it out," Panaka said. "We'll make sure it's safe to touch down there first." He glanced at Qui-Gon. "I've sent the droids to repair what they can. Please stay and protect the Senator."

"I will do that," Qui-Gon said. He looked to Sabé. "Help him find your Candalas."

"Yes, Master Jedi," she said, following Panaka down the hall. 

He herded the senator and her handmaidens back into the room. They all seemed very young to him, suddenly. The senator was an older woman, but it did not dim her beauty. Among her handmaidens, however, she seemed plain, older. He watched them settle on the bed, and then secured the locking device. They were all so young and beautiful. He didn't want their lives to be lost because of him.

A wave of pain rolled through him.

He'd done that all ready.

__________

"We've landed," Sabé said as Qui-Gon let her in. "Captain Panaka requests your presence at the cockpit."

"Okay," Maberrie said. She glanced at Qui-Gon. "Would you be kind enough to step out of the room so I may change, Master Jedi? I don't believe the clothes I am wearing are suitable to these conditions, if the desert is as Sabé says." 

"Yes, Senator," Qui-Gon responded. She was correct. She wore a dress of black fabric with intricate designs on the torso. The dress cut off just above her breasts, with three black lines of fabric running to meet it from the choke collar she wore on her neck. From her back where the dress cut off extended steam like tentacles which ended in feathers. She looked absolutely stunning, despite her old age. Qui-Gon bowed out of the room, Sabé following him.

"It's a beautiful dress," Sabé told him. "She's giving it to me when she dies."

Qui-Gon regarded the girl with surprise. "She must trust you and like you greatly for that."

Sabé blushed, her eyes flashing with something that seemed like anger; not directed at him but at herself. "I am her head handmaiden. She has no children. I… I'm like a daughter to her." 

The Jedi was on guard. She seemed like a good enough girl, who was rather open, and there was nothing wrong with that, but the way her eyes flashed made him wonder. Was she angry at her openness, or had she revealed to him something about the Senator? 

Then he chastised himself. He had no right to question the handmaiden and certainly not the Senator herself. His mind was pricked with uneasiness from the "vision" the Force had shown him. Someone was in danger, but not the Senator. He would be face to face with the person soon; he knew that instinctively. He needed to be on his guard. The person was a Force-sensitive. 

The door opened and the Senator came out, now dressed in a simple tunic and trousers with a long, dark brown robe. Her face was made up heavily once again, which Qui-Gon figured was for protection. It amused him how quickly the make up had gone on, though. 

They started down the corridor. Once they reached the cockpit, Qui-Gon went immediately to check the surroundings through the wind shield. The sight that met his eyes did not give him much hope.

Desert. 

Miles, and miles of desert.

"This is Candalas," Panaka said, gesturing. "There's a town about half a mile away. Senator, I don't believe we should venture out now. It'll be dark here, soon. I suggest we wait until tomorrow."

The Senator looked to her handmaidens, smiling slightly. One nodded, and then the others joined in. She smiled at Panaka. "I believe you are correct, Captain. We'll wait until morning." She looked at Qui-Gon. "Should I inform my world of this?"

"If the attackers are tracking us," Qui-Gon said, "then we cannot. It's possible they do not know where we are. I suggest we keep it that way. Captain? What is wrong with the ship?"

"The droids should be back soon with a report, but from the glance I got it doesn't look good," he replied, his voice grave. "Senator, you should retire for the night. There's nothing here of any interest. I'd feel a lot safer if you were in you room."

"I thank you for your suggestion, Captain," Maberrie said. "And I shall take it." She turned and walked towards her room, flanked by the handmaidens.

"I'll keep watch by her door," Qui-Gon offered.

"Thank you, Master Jedi," Captain Panaka said, looking out at the mountains of sand. "It should be night in an hour."

"I'll keep that in mind," Qui-Gon said as he strolled away.

__________________________________________________ 


End file.
